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StormReady

Lower Chicken Ranch Slough & Lower Strong Ranch Slough
Flood Risk - DRAFT PAGE

Real Time Conditions
Warning! This report contains provisional data from automated gages. This data has NOT been verified for accuracy.

Chicken Ranch Slough:

Location Last
Report
Current
Level
Monitor Stage Flood Stage
Corabel/Chicken Ranch Slough 06:25 7/20/2008 43.95 Recent 24 Hours Chart - SensorID: 1682   49.00 50.00
Alta-Arden 05:47 7/20/2008 below sensor Recent 24 Hours Chart - SensorID: 2234   35.50 Monitor Stage Comment - SensorID: 2234 37.90 Flood Stage Comment - SensorID: 2234

Strong Ranch Slough:

Location Last
Report
Current
Level
Monitor Stage Flood Stage
Strong Ranch@Channel Ct 06:42 7/20/2008 33.78 Recent 24 Hours Chart - SensorID: 2778   44.80 Monitor Stage Comment - SensorID: 2778 45.80 Flood Stage Comment - SensorID: 2778
Strong Ranch Slough/Hurley 06:58 7/20/2008 24.30 Recent 24 Hours Chart - SensorID: 1676   33.70 34.70
Strong Ranch@Northrop 06:27 7/20/2008 below sensor Recent 24 Hours Chart - SensorID: 1730   30.00 Monitor Stage Comment - SensorID: 1730 32.00 Flood Stage Comment - SensorID: 1730

D-05 Detention Basin:

Location Last
Report
Current
Level
Monitor Stage Flood Stage
D05/Basin 06:28 7/20/2008 18.08 Recent 24 Hours Chart - SensorID: 1679   28.00 30.00
American River/D05 06:28 7/20/2008 below sensor Recent 24 Hours Chart - SensorID: 1677   25.00 41.00

Equipment Last Report Status
Pumps 08:02 7/20/2008 0 of 6 Pumps On
Low Flow Pump 08:02 7/20/2008 Off
Gates 08:02 7/20/2008 3 of 3 Gates Open

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What Factors Contribute to Flooding in This Area?

High water in the American River in combination with an intense local rainfall event can result in flooding along Lower Strong Ranch Slough. Strong Ranch Slough rises very rapidly, giving very little warning time of potential flooding. Property owners are encouraged to pay close attention to local weather reports and should be on alert and prepared to take precautions in the event that severe weather is predicted while stages are high on the American River. Sandbagging doorways may be prudent if a significant event is forecast when American River stages are high. During an event, if Strong Ranch Slough gages hit monitor stage and are rising and radar shows more rain coming, vehicles should be moved to higher ground and belongings should be moved upstairs.

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How Do the Detention Basin and Pump Station Reduce Flooding?

Strong Ranch Slough channel drains from El Camino Avenue at Walnut Avenue southwesterly to the County D-05 detention basin and pump station at Hurley Way and Ethan Way. The basin and pump station are located up against the American River levee. The detention basin collects the runoff and either allows it to drain through the levee through a large culvert opening in the levee, or over the levee with one small low flow pump and 6 larger high flow pumps.

When the river is low the culvert through the levee allows runoff from Strong Ranch Slough to pass through the levee and drain directly into the river by gravity. When river flows are high enough that the American River could back up through the culvert and begin to fill the basin, a large slide gate is automatically closed on the culvert to prevent this from occurring. However, closing the gate also prevents Strong Ranch Slough runoff from draining through the culvert, and thus requires that the pumps be operated to allow the basin and slough to drain.






Diagram: D-05 gates are opened when the American River is equal to or less than 18'.

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What Causes the Flood Gates to Be Opened or Closed?
The D-05 gates are always open for American River elevations of 18' or less. Diagram: D-05 gates are opened when the American River is equal to or less than 18'.
If the American River stage exceeds 18', the gates are opened or closed based upon a comparison of the river and basin stages. If the river stage is 0.5' or more above the basin stage, the sluice gates are closed. Diagram: Sluice gates are closed when the American River is higher than 18' AND is more than 0.5' above the level of water in the detention basin.
If the basin stage is 0.5' or more above the river stage, the sluice gates are opened. Diagram: Sluice gates are opened when the basin stage is 0.5' or more above the American River stage.

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