The flood is for all intents over at Sunset Marina with the opening of the fuel dock on the east side of the Lake Potter.
The opening of the dock, with new gas pumps, marks the end of the major flood recovery at the marina. Sure, there is a lot of mulch missing, but that is purely decorative and will be attack in the coming weeks. The crew at the marina managed to keep the water out of the buildings with barricades and pumps, something that was appreciated by everything that uses the complex.
So, for now, the flood is over. The boating season is starting.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Flood relinquishing its hold
The flood of 2011 is slowly relinquishing its hold on Sunset Marina.
The only residual left is the continued closure of the 100 and 200 dock's parking lot and the gas dock. The river's slow drop is keeping water up under the blacktop in the lower parking lot and driving on it would would break up the paving.
The gas dock still is waiting for a little more of a drop in the river and the delivery of new pumps. The new pumps are scheduled to be installed next week.
The north launching ramp is still closed with water up to the parking lot. The road is closed off just west of the entrance to the Rock Island Boat Club. The east ramp is in business though and the dock has been moved close enough so your feet don't even get damp. Another week should make the flood only a memory.
The only residual left is the continued closure of the 100 and 200 dock's parking lot and the gas dock. The river's slow drop is keeping water up under the blacktop in the lower parking lot and driving on it would would break up the paving.
The gas dock still is waiting for a little more of a drop in the river and the delivery of new pumps. The new pumps are scheduled to be installed next week.
The north launching ramp is still closed with water up to the parking lot. The road is closed off just west of the entrance to the Rock Island Boat Club. The east ramp is in business though and the dock has been moved close enough so your feet don't even get damp. Another week should make the flood only a memory.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Normalcy returning to marina
Sunset Marina has all the appearances of returning to normal as the water has receded from all but the lower road and the parking lot for the 100 and 200 docks.
One of the steel panels protecting the marina building has been removed so boaters can get to the office, canvas shop and the Coast Guard Auxiliary Station and Monica has moved back into the office.
On the docks, all of which are approachable by wooden ramps, the power has been turned back on so those who have automatic battery chargers are getting their batteries rejuvenated.
It will be a few days before boaters will be able to drive into the marina because the dirt beneath the blacktop is closer to soup than anything solid. It also will be a few days before water to the docks can be turned back on.
But it's coming. slowly but surely.
One of the steel panels protecting the marina building has been removed so boaters can get to the office, canvas shop and the Coast Guard Auxiliary Station and Monica has moved back into the office.
On the docks, all of which are approachable by wooden ramps, the power has been turned back on so those who have automatic battery chargers are getting their batteries rejuvenated.
It will be a few days before boaters will be able to drive into the marina because the dirt beneath the blacktop is closer to soup than anything solid. It also will be a few days before water to the docks can be turned back on.
But it's coming. slowly but surely.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Sunset Marina shedding its water
The first thing you notice as you approach Sunset Marina is that there is a small bank at the edge of the water near the entrance.
Sure, later in the season the bank will be 14 to 16 feet high, but it's good to see even a 6-inch bank after the sixth greatest flood in history.
Further into the marina, where the first turnoff into the parking lot is, the water is almost completely off the drive. Further along the south road only a few feet of water remain on the road where a low area drains the parking lot. The only other water is near the southeast corner of the buildings, and of course the road to the flooded parking lot for the 100 and 200 docks.
If the water keeps falling at that rate boaters will be able to drive into the marina sometime next week.
Sure, later in the season the bank will be 14 to 16 feet high, but it's good to see even a 6-inch bank after the sixth greatest flood in history.
Further into the marina, where the first turnoff into the parking lot is, the water is almost completely off the drive. Further along the south road only a few feet of water remain on the road where a low area drains the parking lot. The only other water is near the southeast corner of the buildings, and of course the road to the flooded parking lot for the 100 and 200 docks.
If the water keeps falling at that rate boaters will be able to drive into the marina sometime next week.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Boaters can now walk in
The shuttle service for Sunset Marina boaters ended Wednesday -- they can now walk into the marina.
Wednesday afternoon the water was off the entrance road into the marina and about half off the road where it splits to go into the front parking lot. In other words, you could walk into the marina without getting your feet wet. The water looks like it did when we returned from vacation a week ago Monday when it was on the way up.
The major only part of the marina still under water is the south road which goes around the back of the marina.
Most of the uncovered part of the marina already has been washed down and the ramps to the docks have been blocked up so boaters can get down to boats with dry feet.
Wednesday afternoon the water was off the entrance road into the marina and about half off the road where it splits to go into the front parking lot. In other words, you could walk into the marina without getting your feet wet. The water looks like it did when we returned from vacation a week ago Monday when it was on the way up.
The major only part of the marina still under water is the south road which goes around the back of the marina.
Most of the uncovered part of the marina already has been washed down and the ramps to the docks have been blocked up so boaters can get down to boats with dry feet.
Monday, April 25, 2011
River falling faster than predicted
It was amazing how fast the river was dropping at Sunset Marina. Saturday it was just below a mark on one of the orange barrels used to block traffic on Sunset Driver; Monday it was a foot below the hole. The water also had pulled back from half of the small parking lot across from the entrance to the marina to just a fourth of it.
Even though it was sprinkling Monday afternoon, several people were ready for a shuttle ride to their boats and Chuck said they were no longer running the pumps to keep the water out of the buildings. In fact, he said, you could walk completely around the main building without getting your feet wet.
It's still possible for a severe storm with a lot of wind or rain to damage the marina, but barring that, it has weathered the Flood of 2011.
Even though it was sprinkling Monday afternoon, several people were ready for a shuttle ride to their boats and Chuck said they were no longer running the pumps to keep the water out of the buildings. In fact, he said, you could walk completely around the main building without getting your feet wet.
It's still possible for a severe storm with a lot of wind or rain to damage the marina, but barring that, it has weathered the Flood of 2011.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Marina inunidated
Sunset Marina is now almost entirely inundated. The only dry areas are around the apartment/restroom building, some of the grassed area where the hardstand used to sit and some of the main marina building housing the office, canvas shop, workshop and the Coast Guard Auxiliary Station.
The area of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Station, canvas shop and part of the office are surrounded by a steel barrier covered with plastic and sandbagged around the base. Even though the water level around these areas is 4 to 6 inches higher than the floors, inside the barrier it still is dry as the barrier does its job with the help of several sump pumps.
Marina employees now are on duty 24 hours a day, running the boat owners' shuttle from 3 to 8 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and checking the pumps to make sure they are working.
Outside the marina in Sunset Park the water has reduced the size of the park considerably. The small parking lot across from the entrance to the marina has been reduced in size by a third and Sunset Drive is covered by water from the parking lot north. The bike path along the east edge of the park is open as far north as the parking lots across from the east launching ramp where it is flooded by water from the slough on the east.
One walker on the path said he saw two fox kits about the size of a cat playing next to the path. His dog and the kits stood staring at each other for a while before they decided to head to their den.
From the look of the graph on the Quad-Cities Online home page it looks like it will be quite a while before the water recedes to the tops of the banks.
The area of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Station, canvas shop and part of the office are surrounded by a steel barrier covered with plastic and sandbagged around the base. Even though the water level around these areas is 4 to 6 inches higher than the floors, inside the barrier it still is dry as the barrier does its job with the help of several sump pumps.
Marina employees now are on duty 24 hours a day, running the boat owners' shuttle from 3 to 8 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and checking the pumps to make sure they are working.
Outside the marina in Sunset Park the water has reduced the size of the park considerably. The small parking lot across from the entrance to the marina has been reduced in size by a third and Sunset Drive is covered by water from the parking lot north. The bike path along the east edge of the park is open as far north as the parking lots across from the east launching ramp where it is flooded by water from the slough on the east.
One walker on the path said he saw two fox kits about the size of a cat playing next to the path. His dog and the kits stood staring at each other for a while before they decided to head to their den.
From the look of the graph on the Quad-Cities Online home page it looks like it will be quite a while before the water recedes to the tops of the banks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)