|
||||||||
Home Page |
Flood HazardsEach year Teton County residents and visitors can expect both localized and widespread flooding. A much more devastating flood could occur, however, if a high volume of water were released from a lake, such as from Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park. For this reason, the Bureau of Reclamation has produced a Flood Inundation Map for a failure of Jackson Lake Dam, which reflects "events of an extremely remote nature," and is "not intended to reflect upon the integrity" of the dam. By clicking on the Flood Inundation Map, you can determine the areas along the Snake River that would potentially be flooded if the dam failed; the map shows the extents of a sudden failure of Jackson Lake Dam, as well as those of a major flood.The rapid melting of the winter's heavy snowpack and sustained spring rains can trigger flooding along both small streams, like Fish and Flat creeks, and larger water ways, like the Gros Ventre and Snake rivers. The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) has produced (FIRM) maps, which indicate the likelihood of flooding in particular areas. The construction and maintenance of levees on these two rivers has controlled much of the traditional spring-time run-off flooding. However, levees can be breached by high waters and are no guarantee that a flood will not occur; in past years, emergency sandbagging along Fish Creek prevented the loss of homes. Above photo, of 1927 Kelly Flood at Wilson Post Office, courtesy of the Collection of Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum, Jackson, Wyoming. |
|||||||
