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©COLLEEN WHITE / WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES
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The Black River is running high and fast, as seen from the fishing access point in Glen Park Friday. The U.S. Geological Survey has issued a flood watch through Sunday.
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Less than four inches from cresting its banks, the Black River is expected to exceed its 10-foot flood stage tonight or early Sunday morning.
"Those living near the Black River should be prepared to take action should flooding develop," a U.S. Geological Survey release circulated Friday states.
Officials are keeping an eye on water levels as heavy rains have pummeled Northeastern Wisconsin over the last two days.
There was no flooding in the Green Bay area, but National Weather Service officials said they were watching the situation carefully, particularly Duck Creek in Howard. A flood warning was issued for the Oconto River in Oconto County, where river levels were at 9.1 feet, slightly above the flood stage of 9 feet.
Brattleboro, Vermont -- Rain and warm temperatures expected this weekend, combined with continuing snowmelt, are raising water levels and flood worries in southern Vermont.
The National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., issued a flood watch Friday for southern Vermont, in effect through this afternoon. A flood watch means there is a potential for flooding based on current forecasts. Forecasters are expecting between a half inch to an inch of rain Friday and today, which may cause some rivers minor flooding. Rain is also in the forecast for Sunday and Monday.
Mark Bosma, a spokesman for Vermont Emergency Management, said if there was flooding it is likely to be minor, but it is impossible to know for certain.
Martha Deller & Bill Miller
Star TelegramSun, 13 Apr 2008 19:18 UTC
The early-morning storm that pounded North Texas on Thursday caused about $25 million in damage in Johnson County where a tornado skipped along a 4-mile stretch west of Lillian, officials said Friday.
Six homes and two businesses were destroyed, 22 homes were significantly damaged, and 18 had minor damage, emergency management coordinator Gerald Mohr said.
Wainwright - At 4:30 a.m., a long 2-by-4 inch board plunged through the roof of Jose Lopez's house, stopping only when it hit the mattress near Jose Lopez, Jr.
The Wednesday-morning storm already had awakened members of the family with a "weird" high-pitched whistling wind.
Bentonville, Arkansas - Benton County officials hadn't tallied all the damage from March flooding when the new storms moved through Thursday.
"Each time this happens, the roads get more damage and bridges are undermined," said Mike Dixon, county Department of Emergency Management deputy director.
Dan Bacher
TruthoutFri, 11 Apr 2008 15:02 UTC
The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) at its meeting in Seattle on Thursday, April 10, voted to close recreational and commercial salmon fishing off the coast of California and most of Oregon this year.
The only exception to the closure will be a selective recreational fishery for coho salmon in Oregon, according to Dan Wolford, PFMC member and Coastside Fishing Club science director. The fishery closure will extend from Cape Falcon in northern Oregon to the US-Mexico border.
This complete closure of fishing for chinook salmon will be the first since commercial fishing began in California in 1848. The decision was made because of the "unprecedented collapse" of Central Valley salmon stocks. The Sacramento River fall chinook population, until recently the most robust West Coast salmon run, was the driver of West Coast salmon fisheries.
As recently as 2002, 775,000 adults returned to spawn. This year, even with all ocean salmon fishing closures, the return of fall run chinook to the Sacramento is projected to be only 54,000 fish.
Comment: From the article:
The reason for the sudden collapse of the Sacramento fall Chinook stock is not readily apparent, although both natural and hatchery-produced fish have been similarly affected. However, it is clear that overfishing did not cause the depressed condition, as the parent spawning populations were all above the goal. The National Marine Fisheries Service has suggested ocean temperature changes, and a resulting lack of upwelling, as a possible cause of the sudden decline. Many biologists believe a combination of human-caused and natural factors will ultimately explain the collapse, including both marine conditions and freshwater factors such as in-stream water withdrawals, habitat alterations, dam operations, construction, pollution, and changes in hatchery operations.
In other words: They don't know why the salmon stocks have collapsed. We should add salmon to the list of species mysteriously dying. So far we have
bees,
bats and
frogs.
Among the English-speaking settler societies -- U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand -- an irrational but powerful myth still prevails. It drove "manifest destiny" and is still alive and well, if usually unconscious.
Divinely inspired colonists wrested lands occupied by native peoples and bestowed the mixed blessings of civilization on them. The rationalization for dispossession then -- and now -- was that these "primitive" peoples were not making productive use of their lands. What they did not know, and still do not, is that they took over lands that were largely shaped and maintained by indigenous peoples through extensive and intensive land care practices that enabled them to not only survive but also thrive.
Indonesian Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said Sunday climate change-related diseases kill about 150,000 people annually in the country, calling on the people to help reduce the impact of climate change.
Rome - Italian authorities say a small earthquake has shaken the Alban Hills southeast of Rome. No injuries or damage have been reported.
Comment: From the article: In other words: They don't know why the salmon stocks have collapsed. We should add salmon to the list of species mysteriously dying. So far we have bees, bats and frogs.