News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
It all depends on the weather.
If a warming trend gets mixed up with a potent storm that drops heavy rain on a deep snowpack, Sisters residents could see some high water this spring.
If the rate of melt-off is fast enough, the community could be looking at a flood.
Fortunately, such floods are relatively rare in Sisters. A rain-on-snow episode in February two years ago washed out Highway 20 and periodic freshets have made Sisters soggy.
But the last real gully-washer came at Christmastime, 1964, when Squaw Creek went way out of its banks, water poured over Highway 20 and the day-use area of Sisters City Park stood under five feet of water.
Another area that was covered by the flood of '64 is now the site of the Buck Run subdivision - which gives residents there some cause for concern.
The elements for trouble are there. The snowpack is deep and the snow is full of water.
According to Squaw Creek Irrigation District Director Marc Thalacker, the water content measures 35 inches at the Three Creek measuring station. That compares to 20 inches in 1997, which Thalacker described as a very good water year.
The irrigation district is fully aware of the flood potential on the creek.
"We're extremely concerned because we know we could lose our diversion and it could cost us a couple hundred thousand dollars to put it back," Thalacker said.
The irrigation district director said that, in the event of a flood, the district would empty its reservoirs and open its system to try to deflect flood waters.
But residents shouldn't count too heavily on the irrigation system being able to divert a deluge.
"The irrigation (system) can divert 200 cubic feet per second," Thalacker said. "That's the maximum we can do without blowing out our canals."
Thalacker said Army Corps of Engineers personnel told him that, in the 1964 flood, Squaw Creek was running at 2,000 cfs.
Regional Emergency Services Coordinator David Cary stressed that residents of a floodplain area should take on the responsibility of being prepared.
"If you live along the river, you're probably going to get wet," Cary said. "It's kind of a self-preparedness issue. If you've got some concerns, you might want to gather some sandbags and some sand."
And, Cary believes, worried creekside residents should look for some financial protection in case a flood does come. He noted that most homeowner's policies do not cover flood damage.
"People who live in a floodplain or along a creek and have concerns, in my estimation, should be looking at the Federal Flood Insurance Program," he said.
Applications may be obtained through Oregon Emergency Management at (503) 378-2911 or though Cary's office at 617-3313. Cary noted that the insurance program takes 30 days to go into effect, so homeowners should act before there is an immediate flood danger.
The City of Sisters and Deschutes County have emergency plans in place to deal with floods, but plans consist mainly of evacuating neighborhoods and sandbagging "until that no longer became feasible," Cary said.
Sisters Public Works Director Gary Frazee told The Nugget February 26 that he was planning to seek out a source for about 1,000 sandbags.
While Squaw Creek is in obvious danger from flooding, other areas of Sisters are also at risk, as the Sisters Ranger District's "Sisters/Why-chus Watershed Analysis" notes:
"Houses have been built in mapped and unmapped floodplains in the past several decades," the analysis reported.
"In 1995 winter flooding occurred after 7-10 years of drought and many people found themselves living in a floodplain and experiencing water damage," the report continued.
"Inactive springs at Black Butte Ranch resumed flows and flooded basements of houses.
"The Trapper Point subdivision was particularly hard hit when Trout Creek resumed flow for the first time in 15 years."
According to the analysis, "The Forest Service received many requests to 'do something' but there was no simple way to reroute water without flooding other developed areas."
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
Reader Comments(0)