April Showers at Duck Creek

On May 16th, 2011 at 8:20am frank said:

I realize this is after Saturday.  I hope you went out to Duck Creek this weekend and had a successful fishing trip.  Pool 1 is and has been open to fishing despite the recent flooding.

On May 13th, 2011 at 8:00pm Jodave said:

Is Duck Creek's Main lake accsesable and\or flooded ? The wife and I are wanting to plan a fishing trip for Saturday.

On May 10th, 2011 at 10:29pm MattB said:

Otter slough is fairing much better than expected considering the amount of water that came down the St. Francis River.  A large contigent of MDC staff from across the SE Region sandbagged around the headquarters and Otter Slough staff were able to man trash pumps and keep the water out of the offices/draw room.  Water did get into the shop area and some of the other outbuildings, but most of the equipment was saved thanks to a good neighbor on high ground that allowed us to move equipment into his pasture.  As far as infrastructure and wetland damage its too early to tell.  Provided the levees still function and they are able to get the water drawn off some of the units, Otter Slough should still be able to produce some moist soil habitat for the ducks this fall.  That is of course assuming that this flooding business is done for the summer!  I'll talk to Kevin Brunke later this week, if he has anything to add I'll post more then.  Thanks for the question.

On May 9th, 2011 at 12:47pm Darin said:

I know that this is off of the subject to Duck Creek, but how is Otter Slough fairing after all of the flooding?

On May 6th, 2011 at 9:05am frank said:

Duck Creek headquarters is in good shape. Monopoly Marsh (basically the entire basin) has been slowly rising since Wappapello broke over the spillway. Water started to drop in elevation Wednesday afternoon after topping out at 343.45. Water from Wappapello is not entering the basin and is not inhibiting drainage as much as we initially thought it might. However, it will take quite a while for water to drain because Mingo’s outlet, which is essentially at the bottom of the bathtub, is fairly small considering the size of the watershed. On the north end of the basin, on Duck Creek and the adjacent private land, water is starting to recede very slowly. This being said, there is still a lot of water out there. Pool 3 is almost 3 foot above full pool. I imagine we will be seeing water on parts of the area for quite a while. This is great for the swamp fish as they can get out and forage on all the worms and terrestrial bugs that are now floating around. However, as the days ensue and the temperatures rise, this is not good for the trees. As far as access goes, things are back to normal. Folks can drive past the headquarters and go around the north end of Pool 2. It looks like we should have some sunny days, which will give us more time to let the water recede and give you all opportunity to go out and fish on Pool 1. Have a good weekend.

On May 5th, 2011 at 9:38pm Dustin said:

Any update on the extensive flooding in the area?

On May 4th, 2011 at 1:15am Magic Wong said:

No a very good news as some of the things already damaged, hope the thing get better very soon.

On May 2nd, 2011 at 4:24pm frank said:

Although last week flood waters had a couple days to begin to recede, we received between 2-3 inches in the surrounding area over the weekend. The USACOE is watching Wappapello Lake and expecting it to crest latter in the week. With the recent rains they will be increasing the discharge into the St. Francis River. What this means for Mingo and Duck Creek is that there is a hydraulic dam at the bottom of the basin. Any more water we receive will continue to stack up and begin to back flood the lower elevations. Odds are this will be similar to the flooding we observed last week. Pools 1, 2, 3, and 8 will remained flooded and land east of Duck Creek and north of Crowley’s Ridge will also be inundated. I’ve included some pictures of last week’s conditions.

On April 29th, 2011 at 3:34pm frank said:

Just wanted give you all an update.  We’ve had another day to assess the situation as well as let the water spread out.  Most of the extensive flooding is on the south side of the basin as water is backing up against Crowley’s Ridge.  We’ve taken a lot through Duck Creek and into Mingo NWR as well.  Monopoly is at 342, which is 2 foot higher than what it was during the 2008 flood.    Duck Creek is open.  Our roads and infrastructure are holding up. The surrounding ditches have dropped at least a foot in the past 24 hours.  Although roads are open to the area headquarters, the best way access to the Pool 1 is still from the north along Highway Z.  We’ve had some use and folks are out on Pool 1 fishing today.  Have a good weekend and stay safe.