Why They are called Floodplains

[AlanLichty]

The day after the atmospheric river moved out the rivers were a bit on the full side with the Columbia reminding everyone why the bottomlands down near the river are called floodplains. Not a problem for those of us living on the bench lands left by the Missoula Floods in the foreground but not so much for things that have been built on reclaimed lands 200' below.

Water from the Columbia is backed up into estuaries like Salmon Creek a quick drone flight from my house. The normal channel for Salmon Creek is barely visible as an outline in the taller grasses in the lower right.

C&C always welcome.

 

[JimFox]

That's a lot of water being stored there. How close to where the houses would get flooded?

 

[AlanLichty]

That's a lot of water being stored there. How close to where the houses would get flooded?

Thanks Jim - I suspect anyone building too close to Salmon Creek already knows better by now after the far more serious high water in 1996. Can't speak for the folks along the Columbia on Sauvie Island.

The floods of 1996 (before I lived up here) were triggered by a lot of low elevation snowfall with a series of storms that culminated with a tropical warm front that dropped almost 3" of warm rain on the metro area in one day with double that up in the mountains with all the low elevation snow. Most of Sauvie Island was under 3-4' of water and there are signs around the island with lines showing the high water mark in 1996. If you are driving around reading the sign you would have been under water at the time.

 

[Jameel Hyder]

Interesting views. Looks similar to similar flood plains in this area.

 

[AlanLichty]

Interesting views. Looks similar to similar flood plains in this area.

Thanks Jameel - I imagine they are also rather full at the moment as well since the atmospheric river moved north towards your area.