Corps bracing for flooding

CLARK FORK - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday it has flood teams on the ground to assist local governments with flood-fighting activities in five river basins in Idaho, Montana and Washington.

More than a dozen veteran flood engineers, environmental scientists and other specialists are working in the Pend Oreille, St. Joe and Coeur d'Alene river basins in Idaho. Teams are also working in Montana's Kootenai River basin and Washington's Yakima/Naches basin.

Corps officials are assisting with the protection of a levee in Clark Fork, which is being threatened by Lightning Creek, a news release said.

“The purpose is to prevent loss of life and minimize property damage associated with severe weather,” said Paul Komoroske, chief of Emergency Management at the corps' office in Seattle.

A small stream flood advisory is in effect in Bonner, Boundary and Pend Oreille counties, according to the National Weather Service in Spokane, Wash.

Weather officials said rapidly melting snowpack is causing rises on smaller rivers and streams.

Earlier in the week, the corps opened the Albeni Falls Dam spillway to full bore in response to the increasing inflows into the Pend Oreille. The lake is expected to reach its summer pool level of 2,062 feet above sea level by July 4.

The lake's level was measured at about 2,055 feet on Friday.

Boaters are being advised to steer clear of the Pend Oreille River downstream from the Priest River due to spring flows. The river flows at a high velocity upstream of the dam and flows turbulently downstream when the dam is operated at “free flow,” the corps said.