River Rising (Maple sap, too?)

I've been keeping a watch on the river due to the steady rains we have been having in and around our area.  This is the first high water we've had since we've owned a river bank up the road at Pure Water Pastures, so I was curious as to how easily that area floods.  What we call "the river bank" is probably a few acres of wooded level land much lower than the pasture fields above.  It is an awesome area that is much neater than the small "river bank" we have here at Pure Water Hollow.    Well, that bank is apparently a foot lower there, or maybe the river a foot deeper there?  I don't know how that works.  But anyway, I thought it was interesting that nearly the entire level river bank there was under water when the depth at Paintsville was 17 feet, when at the same time the water here was several feet from beginning to creep up over our level river bank area.  The river bank here was not covered until 22 feet.  Right now, at 27 feet, the water is up to within a foot of the top of the pipe gate down there, so it is safe to say that the entire river bank here is under at least 3 feet of water.  At Lawrence county it is up to an old tree stand we can see, so most of that river bank must be up to 6 or 7 feet deep!  When the water goes down, I'll be able to measure that tree stand and see how high the water was. 

Here is the graphic I've been watching on the computer.  It posts the depths of the river as they measure it at the town up the river.  You can see that it is at 27.43 feet right now.  The rain has stopped and they are predicting the river to go down. 

This has not been a flood at all, but in the past, I have often wished that I knew at what point our river bank goes under water.  Now I know that at 22 feet you can't walk around the peach trees down there without splashing, and above 23 feet things can start floating away!  I also wish I knew at what point our state road gets closed for water.  I have pictures from 2009 of the children standing on the submerged road when the river measured 32 feet at Paintsville, but from the looks of the pictures, the water probably covered the road initially maybe at 29 or 30 feet?  I sort of hope the river will continue to rise over night just so I can see exactly at what point the road gets covered!  Maybe I am a bit strange?

Here is the info the above website posts concerning flood threats.  I figure I may want to refer back to it sometime in the future and this is one place I can store facts like this.

Flood Categories (in feet)

Major Flood Stage: 42

Moderate Flood Stage: 38

Flood Stage: 35

Action Stage: 28

 

•  47.4    100 year return period flood

• 45.92    flooding will exceed the highest flood on record. Ninety percent of businesses and eighty percent of homes flooded

• 44.6    50 year return period flood

• 44    right bank overtopped

• 42    major flooding occurs. Businesses begin to flood

• 39    10 year return period flood  

• 38    moderate flooding occurs. Water enters houses along Bridge St, Frank St, and Euclid Avenue

• 35    low lying areas flood. Underpass at KY 40 is closed separating the town east of the river. Left bank overtopped flooding Bridge Street

• 32    water covers low spot on underpass of KY 40

• 28    action stage

The highest crest they show during the time we've lived here at Pure Water Hollow was on 2/17/2003 when they recorded 37.67 feet.  That really was a flood!  Interestingly, they also list the top flood at 46.6 feet on 2/1/1862.  I wonder how accurate that is?  The second highest was 45.92 feet on 1/31/1957.  The old-timers still talk about that one!

On a homestead note, Simon and I tapped 6 of our sugar maple trees today.  That's not very many, I know.  I'm not sure if we'll have much time for boiling the sap down this year, but I decided that I would like to try to do a little.  We did not get any last year, partly because it was such a warm winter, but also because of the time factor.  This winter has been fairly warm, also, so I'm not really sure what the sap will be like, or if it will be flowing now or not. 

But, the temperatures are supposed to play along the next few days.  Tonight is forecasted to be 19, tomorrow sunny and 38, tomorrow night 26, Saturday sunny and 49, night dipping back to 28, Sunday cloudy and 37 with a low that night down to 19.  Maybe the sap flow will be on tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday?  Monday is not supposed to get above freezing, so that should stop the flow if one gets started.  We'll see.  At least the spouts are in and buckets hung, so whenever the weather dictates a flow, we'll catch some of the sweet sap and see what kind of maple syrup and sugar it makes!

 I have a little extra time right now due to the fact that my school has called off this week Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday due to the flu! All the surrounding counties have also dismissed. We're missing 3 days for sickness and also Martin Luther King Jr Day Monday, so I'm off work until January 22nd!   It's been a nice break so far and I'm thankful that we are all well here at Pure Water Hollow!

This has been an odd blog post, I guess, and probably not too interesting to many.  But, it was on my mind and I had a moment to put it down in writing, so I did!