Washed Away – Wisconsin Geocaching Association

This topic has 29 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 3 months ago by seldom|seen.

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09/25/2010 at 5:28 pm #1730861
HeliDood
I’m curious how many geocaches have been affected by the raging waters of the Wisconsin River..

I for one have 2 that are completely under water. I know Sandlanders has one in Biron thats under several feet of water.

One of mine, for sure (or most likely) will need to be archived. GC279E7.
Movin’ on Down cache, at the former site of the WR east-side swimming
pool.
Anyone familiar with that cache (or the park) saw the big painted wooden sign. I just drove by there today and was surprised to see the sign washed away in the river rapids.

There is more water in central Wisconsin than what this river knows what to do with.
09/25/2010 at 6:06 pm #1936523
Team Black-Cat
I’m pretty sure one stage of one of mine got drowned, but it’s not in any danger. The latest one I placed near the Rib River might have headed down stream… I have to wait a few days to check.
09/25/2010 at 7:40 pm #1936524
bugsmasher69
I am not home to check on mine but I would assume most of my Pine Island cache series is underwater or not accessable along with a couple of other caches.

Here in Portage they are expecting the Wisconsin River to crest at 20 feet tonight which is a foot higher then the flooding we had back in 2008.
09/26/2010 at 3:11 pm #1936525
bugsmasher69
At 9:15 am this morning the Wisconsin River was at 20.18 feet at the hwy 33 bridge in Portage. This is the third highest it has ever been recorded at.
09/26/2010 at 8:44 pm #1936526
BigJim
Participant
Even the little creeks are at unusually high levels. The Little Eau Pleine River at Hwy S is the highest I’ve ever seen it. It must be close to 8 feet above normal. I don’t think any of my caches have been affected, but I have a few that would be a real challenge to get to right now.

All opinions, comments, and useless drivel I post are mine alone and do not reflect the opinions of the WGA BOD.
09/26/2010 at 9:03 pm #1936527
HeliDood
Who knows of my “Down by the Riverside” cache in Nekoosa?
Its an Ammo can, but I’m still a bit concerned it floated up and ended up in the Petenwell
09/26/2010 at 9:20 pm #1936528
sandlanders
Participant
@HeliDood wrote:

Who knows of my “Down by the Riverside” cache in Nekoosa?
Its an Ammo can, but I’m still a bit concerned it floated up and ended up in the Petenwell

Oh, maaaann! Knew we should have done that one a while ago. We wanted to check out that homemade stamp of yours! Maybe a replacement cache?

And if the ammo can went into the Petenwell, it may have continued on a lot farther, the way the water is being released over the dams.
09/26/2010 at 9:20 pm #1936529
BigJim
Participant
@HeliDood wrote:

Who knows of my “Down by the Riverside” cache in Nekoosa?
Its an Ammo can, but I’m still a bit concerned it floated up and ended up in the Petenwell

That is a good possibility.

All opinions, comments, and useless drivel I post are mine alone and do not reflect the opinions of the WGA BOD.
09/26/2010 at 10:19 pm #1936530
BigJim
Participant
How about Biron Pleasure Island and Island Micro? Is the island even above water?

All opinions, comments, and useless drivel I post are mine alone and do not reflect the opinions of the WGA BOD.
09/26/2010 at 10:44 pm #1936531
bugsmasher69
At 4:15 p.m. Sunday, the National Weather Service’s Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service said the Wisconsin River had reached 20.4 feet in Portage near the Highway 33 bridge. That is above the predicted crest.

It’s the second-highest crest on record, behind 20.5 feet on Sept. 14, 1938, and just more than 20.2 feet on March 17, 1973. Flood stage is 17 feet.

They have admitted locally that they don’t have any idea at this point how high it will go and believe it will be wednesday before water starts receding.

There is a levee on the west side of the river just south of hwy 33 that is giving away and is 40% breached and about 200 homes are expected to be flooded.

And the national news is reporting that the city of Portage is the area that is being effected by the breached levee and is being evacuated but that is wrong.
09/26/2010 at 11:10 pm #1936532
sandlanders
Participant
Hope your place is OK, bugsmasher. Right now, Portage looks to be suffering the most. I39 is closed down there, detoured 90-94 to Mauston, back east on 82 to 39.

The concern over the levee right now is east of I39 and south of 33, but there are weak spots all along the levee. Not sure what will happen to our GC2979P. No rain for a while, but the system is trying to handle everything coming into it.

Shot these photos yesterday at the Castle Rock Dam in Adams County. Folks there were saying that they were lowering both Petenwell and Castle Rock Lakes two feet each to handle the water coming in from farther north. The white bass were biting there, though.
09/26/2010 at 11:31 pm #1936533
bugsmasher69
Thanks sandlanders but we are fine and on high ground.

I-39 is not closed. There are big back ups at the river from construction and eveyone headed home from the great north and slowing down to get a good look at the river. They are suggesting an alternative route of 90 to hwy 82.

The Wisconsin Dells dam has been wide open the whole time. They are not even trying to slow down the water here.

Levee Rd where your cache is located has been closed since this morning because of water over the road. It is still passable but they are trying to keep the gawkers out of the area and they are worried about the integetry of that levee too.
09/26/2010 at 11:47 pm #1936534
sandlanders
Participant
@bugsmasher69 wrote:

They are suggesting an alternative route of 90 to hwy 82.

That’s why we saw the detour signs on 82 today. Thanks for the “on the spot” reporting from you and/or your sources, bugsmasher.
09/27/2010 at 12:33 am #1936535
gotta run
This is really crazy stuff. I know that geocaching is completely trivial compared with anything of real importance that gets damaged by the flooding…but, with that said, I’m sure glad we decided to go river-caching LAST weekend!

On the Left Side of the Road...
09/27/2010 at 4:40 am #1936536
RSplash40
Been told one of mine is under here in wausau, I wonder how omro is fairing this one. My last splash (if its where I put it) would be fine depending on surge, but the letter box beneath it will be gone if it floods like it did back in ot-four.
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