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General Sailing Forum

Too much water!

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Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/14/2005 : 14:28:31

While our local water problem is small compared with many other parts of the country, our little reservoir has reach water levels never before seen. A couple days ago my wife took these pictures. If you notice the pilings, they show about three feet before they're in the water.

During normal summer water levels, the pilings are around 13 feet out of the water. As of yesterday, the rings holding the docks on the pilings were 8 inches away from coming over the tops of the pilings. Then it rained.

I haven't heard yet how things turned out, but if they made it through the night okay, we might be in the clear because we're not expecting any more rain for a few days and hopefully the powers that be will open the dam up a little bit.

This last picture was taken last year when the docks were being installed, and it's to give you an idea of what the normal water level is.

Ben
Beneteau 361
Viking Kitty
Columbus, Ohio

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 01/14/2005 : 14:47:12

Funny... That's just a little more than a normal tide-swing here on Western Long Island Sound. (6.5' - 9', depending on the moon and sun.)

If that water flows eventually to the Ohio R., I doubt they'll be opening the dam any time soon. Things appear to be a little worse down there...

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 01/14/2005 14:49:02

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 01/14/2005 : 15:23:41

Holy Makerel......Never thought of that....although instigated by nature, people upstream make decisions that severly affect the quality of life downstream......do you flood your upstate town out a little bit and relieve the pressure downstream, or do you open the gates and dump it on the folks at the bottom of the hill.......wow. Is there a protocol? regulations? What if the upstream marina being torn to shreds is your cousins? Politics? (Within context please, not to start a discussion here, I know better.) Wonder if there is a forum for dam operators we can lurk in.....

Oscar
C42 # 76 "Lady Kay" (Ex. C250 WB #618 )
Georgetown MD/Fort Lauderdale FL

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Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Response Posted - 01/14/2005 : 16:19:04

The water does eventually get down to the Ohio River. I did learn that the docks made it through the night okay, which is a great relief. I'm not sure how and when the decide to open the dam. Obviously the water would be released in a controlled manner, and certainly done in a way to keep the folks down stream from being flooded (hopefully).

We'll see though. I'm sure I'll be hearing from other club members how it's going.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 01/14/2005 : 17:03:35

Derek, tell them what happens when you don't let water out!!!

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3324 Posts

Response Posted - 01/14/2005 : 19:58:28

When Canyon Lake flooded in 2002, downstream of the dam all the way to the Gulf of Mexico was also flooded by the copious rain we'd had. So the Corps (who the hxll put the army in charge of water!!

) held the gates closed. The water level went to 12' over the spillway and tore out a canyon a mile long, 100' deep and 150' wide! Ripped out a road in the process and flooded virtually everything downstream for miles. (First time it had ever gone above the spillway!)
The lake was closed to all recreation for 2 months, and the County businesses lost a collective $1 million a week!
Derek

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Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1774 Posts

Response Posted - 01/14/2005 : 20:23:55

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Derek Crawford
 ... The water level went to 12' over the spillway and tore out a canyon a mile long, 100' deep and 150' wide! Ripped out a road in the process and flooded virtually everything downstream for miles. (First time it had ever gone above the spillway!) ... Derek<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Derek isn't exaggerating ... here's what it looked like from the air:

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Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 01/14/2005 : 20:34:06

Nice Beach....

Oscar
C42 # 76 "Lady Kay" (Ex. C250 WB #618 )
Georgetown MD/Fort Lauderdale FL

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John V.
Admiral

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USA
559 Posts

Response Posted - 01/16/2005 : 13:03:54

Ben, We have been suffering from this rain. Being just up the road in Mount Vernon, The Kokosing River is way up. Being a National Ski Patroler at Snow Trails we have had our share of flooding on the slopes. There have been a couple of days when I felt that we should bring our patients down the hill by canoe.

You know, being so close we should do something at Alum Creek (when the water goes down) I would love to splash there for a weekend before heading north.

For those interested, most of these Ohio watershed reservoirs serve two purposes. They impound water during flood times and release at a gradual rate to prevent major floods, and they provide reserve water to keep the ohio up during the late summer so that commercial traffic can make it all the way to Pittsburgh. All this is managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

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Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Response Posted - 01/17/2005 : 08:01:43

Hi John, that's too bad about the conditions at Snow Trails. I suspected the area ski slopes were having a rough time of it.

I like your idea about getting together at Alum before you go cruising. When I get my boat back in the water, hopefully no later than April 1, I'll be sure to send you an invite.

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Dan86
Navigator

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130 Posts

Response Posted - 01/18/2005 : 22:52:16

Derek, I worked for the corps of engineers at Canyon from about 87 to 91 and spent the bulk of that time cleaning up from the 86 flood (or early 87, do not remember which) that got to the very crest of the spillway. Tremendous damage holding that much water, killed tons of healthy trees, creating a bathtub ring of brown around the lake. Had huge forearms after riding chainsaws for 8 hours per day!! Devestation of a beautiful lake. Also there during the conversion and testing of Canyon when it went to hydroelectric! i could tell some hairy stories... Dan 86

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3324 Posts

Response Posted - 01/18/2005 : 23:17:01

Hi Dan, - that flood was in 1987 - 2 years before I started sailing there. We had other floods in '91, '97 and of course "the biggie" in 2002. There is much less vegetation close to shore now, but as long as the tree's leaves are not submerged they seem to survive. Our marina deals with these "aberrations" with aplomb - they just let out the anchor cables on the floating docks. However, it is mildly disorientating when you are looking level from your cockpit at a flooded parking lot which is normally 30' higher than the boat!
Where do you keep your boat in Corpus? Do you race in the BYC's Wednesday affairs?
Derek

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Dan86
Navigator

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130 Posts

Response Posted - 06/08/2005 : 22:07:27

Derek, I was just checking out old posts and noted I did not respond to your questions. I keep my boat at the Corpus Christi Marina at the bayfront. I have been crewing on a J30 to gain experience in heavier air etc. on Wed nights. The boat I crew for is very competative and usually places, and we won the entire race to Port Aransas on one day, then won our division the next day on the way back. Corpus is a challenging environment, i continue to learn and gain confidence with increased time on the water. Dan

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3324 Posts

Response Posted - 06/08/2005 : 22:17:03

Hi Dan - do you ever race your C25? If you need a hand sometime you can e-m me at dcrawford12@satx.rr.com
Derek

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