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A Publication Featuring The Information
Services Technology of Maine State Government
| Volume VII, Issue 4 | April 2004 |
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According to the March 4 meeting of the River Flow Advisory Commission, flood potential was normal for the time of year, but ice potential was above normal. Curious about the flood potential on a river near you? Read on.
During flood season, technology and a variety of partners continuously watch Maine rivers. Near real time hydrologic data from the US Geological Survey (USGS) stream flow gages (http://me.water.usgs.gov ) are used by the National Weather Service (NWS) to help predict the size and timing of river floods. These gages track river stage (height) and stream flow (in cubic feet per second) and transmit the data via satellite 24 hours a day.
To predict winter/spring flooding, it also is important to know how much water is contained in the snow pack. The Maine Cooperative Snow Survey (http://www.maine.gov/mema/weather/snow.htm ), jointly run by the USGS and the Maine Geological Survey with the help of many cooperators, measures the amount of water in the snow pack in late winter and early spring on a weekly basis. NWS computer models then use the snow data along with stream flow to increase the accuracy of flood predictions. In addition, the USGS provides real-time temperature data for several sites.
The 24-hour web cam on the Kennebec River at Augusta, generously hosted by the Maine State Housing Authority, provides remote "eyewitness" observation of ice and water movement. It is operated by the USGS in conjunction with a real-time stage gage at Augusta’s Father Curran Bridge. The web cam confirms the stages reported from the gages, and provides a unique real-time view of the ice as it progresses in the river. Started in 2001 as a pilot, this cam has been so popular it has never been removed!
This year, the USGS is testing a totally remote installation that pulls electricity from solar panels and sends its updates via cell phone. This technology will make it possible to place a web cam at any remote site, providing there is adequate cell phone coverage.
To monitor ice conditions on the Kennebec, the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory of the Army Corps of Engineers (CRREL) has placed ice motion detectors on the river in the Sidney-Augusta area. These devices trigger when ice movement occurs and place automated telephone calls to the National Weather Service and public safety agencies. Local officials can then begin on-site observation to watch for sudden changes in water level caused by ice jams. CRREL has provided this service since the removal of the Edwards Dam. Last year, the monitors tripped, and the web cam captured the formation and erosion of a massive ice jam in Augusta, all within 30 minutes!
Links to all the weather and observation sites can be found at www.maine.gov/rfac (click on "River Watch 2004"). The "River Watch" page will also lead you to sites full of flood preparedness and safety information.
The cooperation that marks all of these monitoring efforts happens under the auspices of the Maine River Flow Advisory Commission. The Commission, a model public-private partnership, is composed of representatives from state and federal agencies, major river basin management operations, and the University of Maine. It is co-chaired by the Director of the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA, Art Cleaves) and the District Chief of the USGS (Bob Lent). The Commission usually meets only once a year. Members share information and ideas with a shared goal: to provide the best possible hydrologic data as a basis for decision-making, whether tracking floods or drought, water quantity or quality.
Lynette Miller is a Director of Special Projects, at MEMA, within the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management. She may be reached at 626-4503, or via e-mail at lynette.c.miller@maine.gov.
