River may edge flood level

The potential for flooding this spring

is high for all of Western Montana, and locally, the Whitefish

River is expected to toe the line.

The National Weather Service in

Missoula reported last week that as the snowpack continues to grow

in Western Montana — some area mountains now hold as much as 72

inches of water equivalent — the likelihood of flooding is

increasing.

“We’ve got so much snow here it’s going

to be hard to avoid flooding,” said Ray Nickless, a hydrologist

with the National Weather Service.

Forecasts show the Whitefish River

topping out at 7 to 8 feet, with flood stage at 8.5 feet. Nickless

warns though, a period of heavy rain and warm temperatures could

elevate the chances of the river hitting the tipping point.

“I could see the [Whitefish River]

easily getting up there and pushing flood stage,” Nickless said

last week.

Currently the Whitefish River is just

above 4 feet at the river’s mouth. It has creeped upward each of

the past seven days.

Nickless noted that many stream flows

currently are below average because the mountain snowpack is still

growing — not melting as it typically does this time of year.

LeeAnn Allegretto, a meteorologist with

the National Weather Service, said that the long-range forecast

shows more of the same. May’s outlook is for above average

precipitation and below average temperatures. The three-month

outlook into July shows below average temperatures and average

precipitation.

“We’re stuck,” she said.

City officials are concerned about the

possibilty of elevated river levels, noting that the silt fencing

being used for restoration at river cleanup sites could be a flood

hazard.

Rob Hagler, a senior engineer working

on the cleanup project, told the city his crews will replace the

silt fencing with a geotextile fabric, as suggested by riparian and

wetland ecologist Paul Hansen.

Hansen told Hagler that using the

erosion control blanket will reduce any sedimentation issues along

the access road to the cleanup site. Once the high flow has

occurred, he suggested the blanket should be removed and the silt

fencing replaced.