tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666195730630249633.post5362860818445639088..comments2024-03-25T17:49:41.408-07:00Comments on Salem Breakfast on Bikes: The Proposed Minto Bridge in FloodtimeSalem Breakfast on Bikeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15618055627843335993noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666195730630249633.post-8351974484357145072014-02-14T15:51:56.898-08:002014-02-14T15:51:56.898-08:00From the City today:
"Minto Brown and Wallac...From the City today:<br /><br />"<i>Minto Brown and Wallace Marine Parks to Close - 02/14/14<br />The City of Salem has closed two Salem Parks due to Willamette River levels.<br /><br />The Willamette River in Salem is projected to rise above 24 feet Friday evening and continue rising through Wednesday, February 19, 2014. Access and parking at both locations are impacted when the river reaches 24 feet.<br /><br />It is currently projected to crest at 27 feet, one foot below flood stage, on Thursday, February 20, 2014.<br /><br />Both parks will remain closed until the Willamette River returns to normal levels</i>."<br /><br />24 feet seems to be the magic number!Salem Breakfast on Bikeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15618055627843335993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666195730630249633.post-28194408413952373632012-03-29T15:48:39.633-07:002012-03-29T15:48:39.633-07:00The SJ is reporting a floodwatch this afternoon.
...The SJ is reporting a floodwatch this afternoon.<br /><br />The river gage also shows a peak around 20 ft between the 17th and 19th, and another peak around 21 feet between the 23rd and 25th. And it seems we may get another.<br /><br />It will be very interesting to learn just how much of this winter and now spring the path system would have been open and securely above water.Salem Breakfast on Bikeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15618055627843335993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666195730630249633.post-77680874521394964182012-03-18T11:47:44.850-07:002012-03-18T11:47:44.850-07:00Well. Friendly correspondents who just returned f...Well. Friendly correspondents who just returned from a walk at Minto park report that large portions of path system are under water or closed again. Since the 17th the Willamette has been a little over 20 feet in elevation.<br /><br />As for the accuracy of the path elevations, the City reports that the numbers came from a GIS layer (in turn from aerial photos and whatnot), and so represent a level of accuracy that needs to be confirmed by actual on-the-ground surveying. It's hard to imagine, though that the margin of error is much more than 5% or 10%.<br /><br />(Contrast this with the claim of about 21,000 commuters, on which the error bar is like 100%!)Salem Breakfast on Bikeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15618055627843335993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666195730630249633.post-67069263595166400112012-02-29T15:01:18.737-08:002012-02-29T15:01:18.737-08:00IN the SJ today:
"Minto-Brown officially was...IN the SJ today:<br /><br />"Minto-Brown officially was closed from the day of the flood through Jan. 30, and has been reopening only incrementally since then.<br /><br />"The park is 75 percent clean and open to the public," said Salem parks superintendent Keith Keever."<br /><br />So there is in fact a lag between the waters receding and the path system reopening! Maybe closures are measured in weeks rather than just a few days?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666195730630249633.post-90488710614857544922012-02-03T12:29:23.076-08:002012-02-03T12:29:23.076-08:00RE: Feb 3rd update -
From the City: "the ...RE: Feb 3rd update - <br /><br />From the City: "the flooding in 1964/early 1965 was very extreme. The stage height of 37.8 feet [in the 1964 flood] uses the exact same scale as was used for the flood event we just had and no conversion is necessary." So I am using 29 feet in my calculations.<br /><br />I assume that the bridge drawings use the 1988 NAVD, and I am now pretty confident in the 138.5 flood elevation figure.Salem Breakfast on Bikeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15618055627843335993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666195730630249633.post-4945365821283090992012-01-24T11:52:18.563-08:002012-01-24T11:52:18.563-08:00Well, that's an interesting question, and perh...Well, that's an interesting question, and perhaps I should have discussed it directly. <br /><br />I don't know all of the considerations, but certainly a part of them are Federal 19th century river navigation laws and the need to keep the channel "open" for the Willamette Queen, whose operator enjoys a great deal of leverage on the issue. It has seemed highly unlikely that the Coast Guard or other Federal agencies would ever approve an even lower bridge. (The approved design is called the "low bridge" design, btw.) <br /><br />For a summary of the issue, links to the staff report with a fuller discussion, and the way it was resolved, see <a href="http://breakfastonbikes.blogspot.com/2011/08/city-council-august-22nd-minto-bridge.html" rel="nofollow">previous discussion here</a>.Salem Breakfast on Bikeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15618055627843335993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666195730630249633.post-2672474797312226862012-01-24T08:43:09.514-08:002012-01-24T08:43:09.514-08:00A thought occurs to me that I did not see you poin...A thought occurs to me that I did not see you point out. If the land on the other side of the river is not accessible in a "40 year" flood event, then does the bridge even need to be as tall as that. It seems that the cost of the bridge could be reduced by lowering it even further than already proposed to a level that would still be a usable connection into Minto Park. That may however bring it do a level where it would be flooded as well during those times, thereby not allowing it to be used as a place to watch the flooding.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com