5/23/2024
WT Staff
 HAPPENING NOW
Thursday May 23, 2024
Wills Creek, Grand River watersheds back on the drought map
May 23, 2024 1031 am EDT
Current Streamflows, Drought Map from the USGS network in Ohio
Streamflows continue at seasonal normal levels statewide Thursday with a handful of stations observing below normal flows. Three sites in northeast Lake Erie basin record below seasonal normal flow values, including two in the Ashtabula-Chagrin Rivers watershed and one below normal rating in the Grand River watershed, this morning also represented on the drought map at below normal. One of two stations recorded below normal in central Muskingum River basin has hit 2nd percentile: Salt Creek flowing low near Chandlersville. Another below normal rating popped up overnight in the middle Ohio River minor tributaries watersheds, bringing the number below normal to three. One below normal rating appears in the Scioto River basin Thursday while the Great Miami basin posts only normal streamflow values.
The highest flows in Ohio midweek are above 75th percentile, above seasonal normal. These higher levels are observed in a handful of locations through the state on both sides of the drainage divide. An above normal flow appears on Sandusky River, one on the Vermilion River and one on the Black River of Lake Erie basin. One above normal rating appears in the Mahoning River watershed of the Upper Ohio River minor tributaries, another in Licking River watershed of the Muskingum basin and two more down south in the Middle Ohio River minor tributaries Brush-Whiteoak watershed. No active flood events or extreme high flows are recorded as of this report.
Ohio drought map has taken on more territory overnight. Lake Erie basin's Grand River watershed has been tagged with a below normal rating for 7-day average streamflows falling below the seasonal normal. After several days of much below normal flows observed in Wills Creek, the Wills Creek watershed of the Muskingum River basin is also marked up on the drought map at below normal rating. Shade River watershed remains below normal again today, the dry area parching all of Meigs County, south-central Athens, northeast Gallia and south Washington Counties.
WT USA Flows and Flood Tracker provisional data from the network of USGS streamflow monitors
As of this report, sixty sites record flooding on the USGS network through the USA with fifteen occurring in WT coverage area. The nation's most common disaster is recorded through south Georgia, presenting a sample of nine stations recording flooding. Louisiana has dropped two active river flooding sites overnight, currently recording seven flood events in the network.
Louisiana has retired a river flood event in watershed Region 4 on the west border Sabine River, back in the channel near Bon Wier, TX as of 615 am CDT this morning. Sabine River flooding is down to one station in the lower channel near Ruliff, two feet four inches over flood stage. To the east in the Calcasieu River, the station near Oberlin records flooding ended around 145 am CDT this morning. The stations upstream and downstream of Oberlin on the Calcasieu River are still flooding, running more than a foot over near Glenmora and downstream runs four inches over flood stage near Kinder. Region 5 watershed has one river flood event Thursday, Mermentau River runs five inches over at Mermentau. Region 1 watershed's Bayou Bodcau continues the steady decline curve, running a foot and five inches above the basin, even after a night of rain in the region. NWS forecast locally heavy downpours last night that Bayou Bodcau could have picked up over 668 square miles of east Bossier Parish and southwest Arkansas. In Region 7, Pearl River is up again overnight, running a foot and ten inches above flood stage near Bogalusa. Flow downstream at the Town of Pearl River runs less than a foot over flood stage at the Town of Pearl River. See black tags indicating flow volume and gauge height, flows updated daily here.
River flooding has shifted overnight on both sides of the state divide. In the Atlantic basin, Satilla River tributary Alabaha River rested down into the channel around 1130 pm last night at GA203 near Blackshear leaving Satilla River flooding at three locations, at GA 158 near Waycross, downstream at another location near Waycross and downstream at Atkinson. Tributary Little Satilla runs a foot over the channel near Offerman. Savannah River held a level flow overnight, still a foot and three inches above the channel. In the Gulf Basin, flooding has expanded in the Suwannee River watershed. Withlachoochee River is recorded flooding at three monitors Thursday, running more than a foot over flood stage at Skipper Bridge Rd. near Bemiss, close to four feet above the channel at US84 near Quitman and downstream near Pinetta, FL. Flood stage was breached near Pinetta, FL around 10 pm last night, currently registering a provisional reading one foot above flood stage and rising. Ochlockonee River is still flooding a foot over near Concord, FL. See black tags indicating flow volume and gauge height, updated daily here.
Hazardous Weather outlook issued by NWS Wilmington, OH 517 am Thursday May 23
Showers and thunderstorms are forecast for Friday afternoon into Friday night. An isolated strong or severe storm will be possible with damaging winds and large hail the main threats.
Showers and thunderstorms are likely Sunday into Sunday night. Some strong to severe storms will be possible during this time.
Impacting Mercer-Auglaize-Darke-Shelby-Logan-Delaware-Miami-Champaign-Clark-Madison-Licking-Preble-Montgomery-Greene-Pickaway-Fairfield-Butler-Warren-Clinton-Ross-Hocking-Hamilton-Clermont-Brown-Highland-Adams-Pike-Scioto Counties
Drinking Water Advisories
Logan County: Bellefontaine City Public Water System issued a Boil Water Advisory for ratepayers connecting at Johns Avenue following a fire hydrant repair May 21. The City of Bellefontaine is located in the Upper Miami River watershed in west central Ohio. The public drinking water facility established in 1928 is recorded serving over thirteen thousand customers through 6200 hundred service connections from a groundwater source. EPA identifies this facility in violation of the Consumer Confidence Rule since January 8, 2021, unaddressed as of the latest complete inspection cycle, to the end of December, 2023.
See yellow tags on the map to the right for more drinking water advisories.
As many drinking water facilities are supplied from surface water reservoirs, the streamflow situation is pertinent to both drinking water supply and quality. High flows can stir up sediment and cause turbidity in the reservoirs, requiring additional treatments to render the water potable. Low flow volume is linked to warmer temperatures in the reservoir and can be an issue for water quality where HABs are present. WT tracks streamflow trends with an eye to the impacts on drinking water supply and quality in each of the state's watersheds. Check the watershed layer on the map to see the direction of flow and streamflows that may be impacting drinking water today.
USGS Provisional Data Statement
Data are provisional and subject to revision until they have been thoroughly reviewed and received final approval. Current condition data relayed by satellite or other telemetry are automatically screened to not display improbable values until they can be verified.
Provisional data may be inaccurate due to instrument malfunctions or physical changes at the measurement site. Subsequent review based on field inspections and measurements may result in significant revisions to the data.
Data users are cautioned to consider carefully the provisional nature of the information before using it for decisions that concern personal or public safety or the conduct of business that involves substantial monetary or operational consequences. Information concerning the accuracy and appropriate uses of these data or concerning other hydrologic data may be obtained from the USGS.
|
|
|
