That's A Lot of Water!

[gary_in_neenah]

I took the following picture Monday morning in Neenah, Wisconsin.


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These are the boat docks and breakwater on Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin. Normal levels of the lake are about 3 feet below the pictured decks, local locks on the dams are wide open with more to come. The lake itself is approximately 40 miles long and 10 miles across and 3 to 4 feet above normal levels. That's a lot of water headed for Green Bay and later out to Lake Michigan! As a local resident, I've never seen the water levels this high.

Meanwhile, local media reminds us that there are still DROUGHT CONDITIONS in parts of Wisconsin.
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[wiharley02]

I don't want to downplay the enormous amount of rain and flooding that has affected Winnebago and up-river watershed - it has been historic, highest water levels in 50-some years.....

Lake Winnebago is currently at about 4.0 feet above datum, which is about 1.1 feet higher than normal summer level (normal summer level is 2.9 feet above datum). That is still very high, and when coupled with strong winds can and is doing quite a bit of shoreline damage.

Army Corps Lake Winnebago Page

 

[eagle1]

Stop by Kaukauna Gary to see it roaring past the mill. Bring your kayak.

 

[skiroule]

Amazing photo Gary. Looking at the docks, I'm having flashbacks. We've dealt with not one, but two "100 year" high water years in the last 11 years. I remember seeing the water finally come up over the dock and thinking it wouldn't get much higher. It did, much higher, and didn't recede for 3 months.

Hopefully Lake Winnebago has reached the high water mark and will begin to down but as you said, that is a lot of water to move out. And as wiharley02 said, there is potential for some significant shoreline erosion and damage if you get some strong winds. A lot of docks were lost in our high water years.