Community Corner
Glimpses of a Raging Menomonee River
A flood watch has been issued and the heavy rain has turned the Menomonee River into a raging rapid that is discharging roughly 1,200 gallons of water every second.
The Menomonee River is an organism of contrasts. In the height of summer last year, the river wasn't more than a trickle — even stagnant in some areas.
But the same river is roaring with life in spring 2013 with the recent snow melt and heavy rain. It's now providing a boistrous soundtrack to downtown.
According to the United State Geological Survey, the Menomonee River's cubic discharge in Falls spiked tremendously between Monday and Tuesday. According to the latest updates from the USGS, at 2:30 p.m., the river was discharging 170 cubic feet per second.
Find out what's happening in Menomonee Fallswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
To put that in perspective, one cubic foot of water contains roughly 7.5 gallons of water. A gallon of water weighs about 8 pounds. Therefore, 1,275 gallons — or 10,200 pounds — of water are being discharged every second.
The 170 cubic feet per second measurement is roughly in the 80th to 90th percentile in terms of discharge recorded at the Falls monitoring point in 36 years. In 1983, the maximum discharge rate was measured at 261 cubic feet per second. In 1994, the lowest measurement of 17 cubic feet per second was measured.
Find out what's happening in Menomonee Fallswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
If you're looking to take a dip, the temperature in the river has dipped to 41 degrees today.
The USGS measuring site is roughly 150 feet upriver from the Pilgrim Road bridge.
Flood Watch
The river will likely continue roaring throughout the week.
The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for portions of Southeast Wisconsin, including Dodge, Jefferson, Kenosha. Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha counties. According to Patch's media partners at WISN 12, the watch will be in effect from noon Tuesday to Friday morning.
A series of low pressure systems are setting up along the jet stream, placing them directly over the area. Rainfall totals of 2 to 3 inches are forecast, and as the soil is already saturated or in some areas still frozen, runoff of moderate to heavy rainfall will cause many rivers to reach their banks with some reaching moderate flood stage.
Do you have photos or videos to share from this spring weather? Upload them to the article.
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