Another Souris River Report

I'm starting to get Spring Fever.  The days are getting longer, the sun is higher in the sky and even if the air isn't particularly warm, the snow melts a little bit each day.  That said, there's still a solid 2-3 feet of the stuff all over my back yard.

So, this morning I grabbed my binoculars and camera and went for another drive, hoping to find some birds.  No birds, so I went out to Rafferty to see how the water release is going.

There has been some melting in the past couple of days; also an increase in the flow out of Rafferty. 

 
This is the Souris River south of Estevan along #18.  The water has breached the banks in low areas here too.  Nothing serious.

 
Ah, there are some birds.  Canada Geese and Mallards near the bank.  The goose in the middle of the stream is a Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii)

 
At the Woodlawn Park bridge on #47

 
This is the low bridge at Vaugn's Crossing (east side of Woodlawn).  The water is pretty close to the bottom of the bridge.

Hopefully, this early release of water from Rafferty will prevent serious flooding as the Spring melt gets underway.  Surely this stuff WILL melt!

The Draining of Rafferty Reservoir

Or at least a partial drain of this vast reservoir on the Souris River....in prep for Spring run-off.



There is an enormous amount of snow this year

 

Rafferty Dam Spillway - June 20

Update:  An August 9, 2011 - a USian broadcast person blames Sask. for the flooding. 
http://www.discovermoosejaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18397&Itemid=399

It will be a long damn time until I visit (or spend $$) in Minot again. 

Gates are open

Quite amazing the water going down the spillway at Rafferty

Rafferty Reservoir Today

My friend Barry Dies supplied a couple of photos of Rafferty Reservoir from this afternoon.

It's been raining in the area for two days.  This is the boat dock. 

Refresh your memory of what it looked like on April 28 - my post at http://stilllifewithbirder.blogspot.com/2011/04/rafferty-dam_28.html 

Rafferty Reservoir This Weekend

Water continues to pour into Rafferty from Boundary

Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) have just arrived. There's much more water and much less nesting space under this bridge this year.

I swear this pelican was simply having fun surfing the fast current

And elsewhere, an American Avocet  Recurvirostra americana

A Willet  Tringa semipalmata

And a Yellow-headed Blackbird   Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Click on pix for larger and clearer, if you want to

Rafferty Dam

High water at Rafferty Dam.  I've never seen the reservoir this high

Water is pouring over the spillway - apparently only so much to keep the water within the river banks (Souris) downstream

More than that is coming into the reservoir though, as every day I go out, the water is higher

This is the boat launch/marina at Rafferty a week ago

This is the boat launch yesterday

Seems like a good place to wash a truck - but, jeez, this guy had flip-flops on and there's still a layer of slushy ice on the main body of water...

Click on the pix to enlarge, if you want to

Pelicans! In the Sunshine

Oh, for the love of pete, don't we all need a sunshine break!  These recent posts have been so dull, grey & gloomy.  Boooo. 

Here's a bright and sunny pic of the pelicans when they first landed at Rafferty - and before the major flooding really started - only a week ago. 

More pelicans to follow.  I like pelicans. 

Oh, and those rocks the birds are standing on....well, now under a couple feet of water.  (click on pic to enlarge, if you want to)

Rafferty Dam

A few random photos at Rafferty Dam yesterday.

The old railroad trestle bridge - no longer used - spanning the marsh below the dam.

Boundary Dam Power Plant in the background. 

Water from Boundary continues to pour in at max. rate.   The surface of the reservoir is still mostly ice-covered

Some 150 Am. White Pelicans are enjoying the excellent fishing at this inflow location.  Too bad all the good, safe roosting locations are now underwater.    Some are resting here near the viewing area at the South end of the dam



Flooding Around Estevan

We've got a lot of water around here.  People are saying there hasn't been this much flooding since 1974.  The city of Estevan is perched high up on the old river bank so we aren't at risk.  However, some people do live close to the river.   

This is downstream at Rafferty Dam

Water coming in from Boundary Dam

South of town in the valley, on #18 Highway - the Souris River is in there somewhere

This is at the Par Three Golf course and campground

At the bridge on #18 - that's Estevan along the horizon



Along River Road

The SE corner of the golf course

A little farther east from the golf course

That's Shand Power Plant in the background