Winter Weather, Warmer Temps Raise Flooding Concerns

After a little taste of spring weather, eastern Idaho was thrust right back into winter over the weekend.

The slush and snow raises concerned about the Snake River flooding in the near future.

There?s no reason to panic, according to Mike Beus, who is the water operations manager of the upper Snake River valley for the Bureau of Reclamation.

“Right now [the Palisades Dam] is more than 81% full,? Beus explained. ?We need to get it down around 50% before the snow in Wyoming begins to melt.”

To do that, the water has to be released down the Snake River, which, Beus says, is also no cause for concern.

“Not so long as the river stays below 20,000 (cubic feet per second) at Heise,” Beus said.

Cubic feet per second (CFS) is how officials measure flow.

Water can flow through the Snake River at a rate of 25,000 (CFS). When flow approaches 30,000 CFS we should worry, Beus said.

Once the water is released from palisades, the flow will only be about 18,000 CFS.

“I would say things are looking good, but that’s no consolation if snow is melting in your back yard and running into your basement,” Beus said.

Officials say it’s still important now to keep an eye on water levels near your home and be prepared.