Preparing for High Water

Preparing for High Water

The Crow River is projected to rise somewhat dramatically over the weekend. We wanted to share some information ahead of the rising water levels regarding what we can expect as we head into next week and the projected cresting of the Crow River.

The Crow River is typically around 3 to 4 feet as an elevation here in Rockford. Currently, the river is at an elevation of approximately 8.2 feet. This is within the City’s “action stage” where we have sandbagged our infrastructure and continue to monitor the levee and stormwater system. The river is projected to crest next Tuesday into Wednesday at an elevation just over 15 feet. This will be similar to the river levels back in 2014 during that flood event. At this 15 foot river elevation, water can be seen at a higher elevation in ditches and near people’s back yards in the Parkwood Development and Riverview Estates. It should be noted that there was no property damage directly from river levels in 2014, and that is not anticipated with this event either.

River projections are constantly changing, and the current projection accounts for rain this Saturday and Sunday. If the rain events are less than projected, the river level projections will fall. Conversely, if there is more rain than what is projected, river level projections will rise. We are prepared for either event, and currently have a surplus of sandbags, 57,300 on hand to be exact, in the unlikely event they would be needed. As of now, based upon the current projections, additional sandbags would not be needed during this event.

As we enter the weekend, please be safe and mindful of the river revels. Rising river levels can create fast currents and unsafe conditions. We will continue to monitor the river elevations, levee and infrastructure regularly over the weekend and will provide more detailed information early next week based upon updated projections if the situation changes or becomes more serious.