Dam hydrology is tricky business, since too much of a release results in flooding downstream. In fact, they're talking about minor flooding closer to the Columbia River Pacific outlet. If only we could divert some of this liquid gold down to Lake Mead.
We've been coming to the valley for years, and I can't remember ever seeing it so green and lush. Especially compared to the heat and fires of last summer, right after we bought the house. Horrible timing, that.
Our little beach and some of the tree trunks are covered, but the river channel seems to handle this 9,000 cfs flow no problem. It would take something quite drastic to bring it up to the lawn. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking. This flow is higher than normal, but not that unusual for Twisp, where some spring run-offs top 15,000 cfs. Now that would be something to see. Or not.
The sheer energy of all that water is mesmerizing to watch. I sit in my comfortable chair staring out the window, and suddenly an hour has passed. I've been watching for the guided raft trips to zip by, but maybe the river is too dangerous even for the experts right now.
Saturday market this morning and it looks like a nice day. Fortunately, most of the rain is in Idaho and northern Oregon this weekend which won't affect the central Washington rivers. Most of what we're getting now is from rapid snow melt in the high mountains.
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