Stage Set for Significant Spring Flood Season
The National Weather Service has established that we are going into the winter with wetter than normal soils, and higher than normal river and reservoir levels which sets the state for a significant 2019 spring flood season. The 2019 Winter Outlook suggests that odds favor a normal to wetter than normal December through February across much of the Upper Missouri River basin as well, with higher odds farther north.
While wintertime precipitation makes up a relatively small amount of the overall yearly precipitation for many locations, the amount of snow that falls over the span of a winter has a significant impact on spring flood potential. This is because the water held in that snow tends to be released over a relatively short period of time during the spring thaw.
Potential Impacts This Winter and Spring -- Unusually high streamflow, water levels, and abnormally wet soil suggest the following potential impacts for the upcoming winter and spring seasons:
For more information:
Local Forecast–weather.gov
Long-Range Outlooks –cpc.ncep.noaa.gov
River Forecasts –water.weather.gov/ahps/forecasts.php
Weather & Climate Data –ncei.noaa.gov
Flood Inundation Prediction Tool
Wouldn’t it be helpful to predict when flooding may occur near your property? New interactive maps available in a new tool can now show you where flooding may occur using data collected at stream gages. These maps are intended to lower future costs for response, repair and recovery by improving protections and evacuation options prior to floods.
The National Weather Service partnered with the Wisconsin DNR and Wisconsin Emergency Management to produce the maps with funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
This flood inundation prediction tool is available for
Learn more at https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/floodplains/inundation.html
Municipal Flood Control Grant Program
The 2020 Municipal Flood Control Grant (MFC) application period is now open! For all application materials and additional information, please visit http://dnr.wi.gov/Aid/MunFloodControl.html and look under the Apply tab.
Total Available Grant Funding: The 2020-2022 Biennial Budget increased available funding for MFC grants to $2 million. Additionally, we are able to re-allocate grant funds from prior grant cycles that were not fully used by those grantees. As a result, total available funding for the next MFC grant cycle will be around $2.65 million.
Maximum Grant Award: Under Wisconsin Statutes, no single applicant may be awarded more than 20% of the total available funding. For this MFC grant cycle, the largest possible grant award for one individual project is now estimated at $531,000.
Deadline for Complete Grant Application Requests: To be considered for grant funding, a complete MFC application must be postmarked no later than Monday, March 16, 2020 (because March 15 falls on a Sunday in 2020). Developing a quality application takes time and many questions are likely to come up that need answers before the application deadline. Now is the time to ask those questions, get those answers and develop solid cost estimates and appraisals to qualify for the limited MFC project funds.
Background: Since the MFC grant program is always competitive, now is the time to start putting together a great application.
Eligible project activities in priority order with 1 high and 9 low (§ NR 199.05(1), Wis. Admin.
For more details about eligible activities, application requirements and more, visit:
http://dnr.wi.gov/Aid/MunFloodControl.html
Under the eligibility tab, you can find information to help you identify if your project is feasible under this grant program and where it falls in project priority ranking.
Help with Questions: Contact Lis Kuisis with grant questions or Michelle Staff with floodplain development or technical questions.
Elisabeth (Lis) Kuisis, MFC Grant Program Manager, (608) 267-5129, Elisabeth.Kuisis@wisconsin.gov
Michelle Staff, Floodplain Management Policy Coordinator, (608) 220-5633, Michelle.Staff@wisconsin.gov
Good luck with all your Municipal Flood Control project applications!
Meg Galloway, Chief of the Dam and Floodplain Section will retire from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) after 29 years of service. Meg will be launching into a new career as a Senior Policy Advisor with the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) based in Madison, Wisconsin. In this role, she will provide guidance on making effective national flood policy and legislation at the state and local level.
Meg’s entire career with the DNR was spent in the Dam and Floodplain Section. Her time at the DNR has allowed her to combine a life-long passion for all things water, with a deep desire to protect the public from water gone “bad”.
Meg also served on the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) Board of Directors for most years between 1996 and 2006, serving as Board President from 2004-2005. She wrapped up her term as Board President with a bang - Hurricane Katrine struck three weeks before the Dam Safety 2005 National Conference was be to held in New Orleans, Louisiana. She has also represented the state programs on the National Dam Safety Review Board.
Meg’s final message: “Remember to be dam (and flood) safe.”
A big congratulations and thank you to Meg for her service and contributions to the DNR!
New Dam and Floodplain Section Chief!
Please welcome Rob Davis in the position of Dam and Floodplain Section Chief. Rob started in the role, on November 7, 2019. The section chief administers the statewide dam safety and floodplain and floodplain mapping subprograms, supervises engineers and technical staff, approves floodplain technical analyses, and provides dam safety expertise during emergencies.
Rob states, “I look forward to the challenge of helping to shape the program in the future. I am honored to have the opportunity to be Section Chief of the Dam Safety and Floodplain Program.” Rob was born and raised in Verona, he says. Following high school, he attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and received a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering. After getting married and living in Madison for several years after college, Rob and his wife moved back to Verona to raise their boys. Their boys are now teenagers, they still live in Verona, and have a rescue dog named Bucky that is a black lab mix. They enjoy camping at the beautiful state parks in Wisconsin. In Rob’s spare time, he enjoys coaching his son’s baseball teams. The family also fosters dogs and they dog sit frequently. Most of the time Rob’s house is full of dogs and teenage boys and they love it!
After working at a couple of private sector engineering firms following college, Rob started with DNR in 2007 as a Water Management Engineer working in the Fitchburg office. He has been in the position for the past 12+ years.