(MANHATTAN, KS – June 10, 2019) The High Water Advisory has been lifted for areas downstream of Tuttle Creek Lake along the Big Blue and Kansas Rivers effective immediately. Releases at Tuttle Creek Dam have been reduced to 12,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of June 10. The US Army Corps of Engineers anticipates that the Tuttle Creek Lake level will continue to fall and release rates will likely be lowered to 3,000 cfs by the end of this week. These release amounts are not expected to cause any flooding downstream.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Pat Collins, Emergency Manager for Riley County said. “Any large amount of rain can impact the Tuttle Creek Lake level. We encourage people to stay alert and aware.”
Collins said 1128 feet is the “critical trigger” for implementing emergency preparedness and precautionary measures. Officials in Riley County, Pottawatomie County, and the US Army Corps of Engineers will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Scattered showers and storms are expected in the area over the next several days. The weather pattern later in the week and into the weekend indicates that up to two inches of rainfall is possible. The threat of flash flooding in Downtown Manhattan also decreases as river levels decline and space becomes available for water to move through the storm sewer system. However, large amounts of rainfall can always cause flash flooding, and the potential for flooding of the Big Blue River, Kansas River, Downtown Manhattan, and Wildcat Creek still exits.
As river levels decline, riverbank stability will continue to be a danger. Riverbank soils are saturated and large sections can detach and fall into the river at any point. People are advised to use extreme caution near rivers and avoid riverbanks. Officials in Riley and Pottawatomie Counties will meet later this week to determine whether public access boat ramps can safely be reopened for the weekend.
The Flood Information Hotline will be deactivated on Tuesday, June 11, but information will be available to the public on the City of Manhattan website at www.cityofmhk.com/flood, on Facebook at ManhattanFloodUpdates and on Twitter@updatesflood.