Pend Oreille River

Pend Oreille River overflows its banks

The Pend Oreille River was flowing at its highest level in 14 years on Tuesday, creating a watery landscape in the river valley northwest of Newport, Wash.

Minor flooding was prevalent, so Cj Lockhart of Spokane drove north to check on her daughter’s home along the river between Newport and Usk.

“I wasn’t really worried,” Lockhart said. “I was more curious than anything.”

Trees and beaches were swamped. Water had risen to the top of a swing set outside the house. A fire pit was submerged under several feet of water. The nearby pasture was flooded to the fence line.

But the home was safe on a rise above the swollen waterway.

“It’s very dramatic,” Lockhart said. “I’m glad the kids are as high and dry as they are.”

The river was measured at Albeni Falls Dam east of Newport at 117,600 cubic feet per second Tuesday and near its crest, according to the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service of the National Weather Service.

The flooding was attributed to a combination of spring rain and an above-average snowpack.

Forecasters said flooding across the region could have been worse, but the cooler-than-normal weather in recent weeks has slowed the snowmelt at higher elevations.

Upstream, Lake Pend Oreille reached flood stage over the weekend and continued to slowly rise. It was at an elevation of 2,064 feet Tuesday, just a half foot above flood stage.

Katherine Rowden, of the weather service in Spokane, said Monday that the lake and river system would remain full and at flood stage because of the large amount of snow still clinging to the high mountains of the region.

The lake may drop below flood stage early next week, but the river below Albeni Falls Dam is likely to remain above flood stage of 100,000 cubic feet per second for some time.

But the river and lake are not expected to rise from current levels.

At 100,000 cfs, water begins creeping toward several homes and floods yards, outbuildings, sections of roads and recreation sites northwest of Newport.

More serious flooding occurred June 5-7, 1997, when the river flow reached 138,200 cfs, getting into homes and covering grounds and roads.

The weather service said that a flow of 130,000 cfs would flood many homes in the Riverbend, Sandy Shores and Sunvale Acres developments.

Pend Oreille County’s no-wake ordinance took effect when the river went to 85,000 cfs last month.

Homes Flooding On Pend Oreille River - KHQ Right Now - News and ...

NEWPORT, Wash. – Larry Cole spent days running multiple water pumps in his yard and basement as he tried to fight the rising Pend Oreille River, about 50 miles north of Spokane. He watched helplessly as the river filled his basement Wednesday morning, sending four feet of water into his home.

"I had to throw up my hands and say, I can't pump out that river," he said. "I can't do it. There's no way I can get that much water."

Flood waters breached a concrete retaining wall he reinforced with sandbags. Water even bubbled from the ground as the pressure of near record river levels pushed on shorelines in Pend Oreille County.

Cole called friends from church and members of his family to help remove furniture from the finished basement last week before it could be damaged by the water.

Cole said even if the water receded today, it would take a month to dry the basement completely before he can start to rebuild.

After weeks of heavy rain and warm temperatures which melted mountain snow pack, authorities believe the river will crest Thursday or Friday before receding only slightly this weekend.

Nearly 120,000 cubic feet of water is moving in the river each second. The National Weather Service estimates water levels are approaching those in 1997, the last time the river flooded to this extent.

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