Community Corner

The Roaring Milwaukee River

A flood watch has been issued and the heavy rain has brought the Milwaukee River to life discharging 29,925 gallons of water every second.

The 104 mile-long Milwaukee River roared through Shorewood Tuesday as heavy rains push it toward action stage. 

In the height of summer last year, the river was approaching record lows, but with the recent snowmelt and heavy spring rains, it has sprung back to life. 

According to the United States Geological Survey, the Milwaukee River's cubic discharge at Shorewood's Estabrook Park spiked tremendously between Monday and Tuesday. The latest updates from the USGS, at 6 p.m., have the river discharging 3,990 cubic feet per second.

Find out what's happening in Shorewoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

To put that in perspective, one cubic foot of water contains roughly 7.5 gallons of water. A gallon of water weighs about 8 pounds. Therefore, 29,925 gallons — or 239,400 pounds — of water are being discharged every second. 

In comparison, the maximum discharge rate was measured at 4,960 cubic feet per second in 1965. And in 1945, the lowest measurement of 134 cubic feet per second was measured.

Find out what's happening in Shorewoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Flood warning

The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for portions of Southeast Wisconsin, including Dodge, Jefferson, Kenosha. Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha counties. According to Patch's media partners at WISN 12, the watch will be in effect from noon Tuesday to Friday morning. 

A series of low pressure systems are setting up along the jet stream, placing them directly over the area. Rainfall totals of 2 to 3 inches are forecast, and as the soil is already saturated or in some areas still frozen, runoff of moderate to heavy rainfall will cause many rivers to reach their banks with some reaching moderate flood stage.

Do you have photos or videos to share from this spring weather? Upload them to the article. 


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