Several pumps and concrete barriers have been ordered by the the Menominee County Highway Department to help alleviate flooding and hopefully re-open state Highway 47-55 in Keshena.
The state Department of Transportation closed the main road through Keshena on Tuesday, a day after the Menominee Indian tribe and Menominee County issued an emergency disaster declaration due to flooding from the Wolf River.
“With it being a safety concern with water on the roadway, we needed to close it down,” said Brent Matthews, state highway department supervisor. “Hopefully they will get the pumps running and re-open the highway soon.”
The DOT advised motorists not to drive past the posted barricades. Traffic is being detoured via Go-Around Road, BIA Route 321, County Road VV, BIA Route 19 and Rabbit Ridge Road.
As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, Matthews said he is unsure when the pumps and concrete barriers will arrive.
The National Weather Service, meanwhile, extended the flood warning in Keshena through 10 p.m. Friday.
“Assuming the ice jam remains, the river may still rise a little as a result of the early week rain and snow melt,” said Jeff Last, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Green Bay. “Flooding due to ice jams is difficult to forecast, as the water height and river stage is highly dependent on the ice jam and whether or not it is removed or dissipates.”
The National Weather Service is not ruling out the potential of extending the warning beyond Friday.
“The floodwaters could slowly rise at any time of the day or night. Fluctuations in water levels can be expected,” Last said.
Reports of flooding began Thanksgiving week and have continued despite efforts by several agencies to address the problem, which has been blamed on ice jams created by frazil ice.
Frazil ice has the consistency of a snow cone and has prevented the Wolf River from flowing properly, Last said.
“It inhibited water to flow freely as it normally would,” he said. “The frazil ice effectively clogged the river, causing the water to back-up upstream from the ice jam.”
Tribal workers attempted to break the ice jam through mechanical means Friday, but reported little progress.
“The ice jam would have to melt or break up naturally or be physically removed or broken up,” Last said.
Last said ice jams are prone to form on rivers with sharp bends and have occurred at higher levels this year.
“Ice jams are more likely this winter due to higher river levels as a result of the past year’s precipitation,” he said. “Periods of mild weather increase the potential for ice jams.”
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