US ACE deploy flood fighters to Madison and Jefferson Counties

The Snake River is running really high right now.

The Menan boat ramp is running water at 21,400 cubic feet per second.

To give a better understanding of how fast this water is flowing, imagine 21,000 basketballs flowing by every second.

Rebecca Squires, the emergency manager said,: “The river conditions right now are very dangerous. The water is extremely cold, and it is flowing fast. It is a really strong current. There is not a lot of clearance under the bridges for boating, so it’s really a good idea that if you can avoid the river, then really avoid it.”

Warmer weather is expected to bring seasonal runoff to a peak in the upper Snake River area in the next week.

Squires said,: “This is unusual, but for the past three years, we had really great snowfall in the mountains, which means we have a lot of runoff in the spring. So right now, the flow is high, mostly because of the Palisades Reservoir are draining down is making room for all the snowmelt.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will deploy two flood specialists to eastern Idaho today to help emergency managers in Madison and Jefferson counties prepare for potential flooding.

Squires said,: “Early this week, we will be working with the Army Corps of Engineers, who will be coming up to do inspections on the levee system. Jefferson County has about 20 miles of levees and that is what keeps the river in its banks. In the past few years, we had to do a lot of work on the levee. This year, they are coming out to take a look to see how conditions are and make plans for in case flows increase.”

Anyone near active waterways should be cautious.

Keep children and pets away from rivers and streams because they could easily be swept downstream.