...FLOOD STAGE WILL CHANGE ON BIRD CREEK NEAR OWASSO...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS PROPOSED A CHANGE IN THE
FLOOD STAGE ON BIRD CREEK NEAR OWASSO.  THE PROPOSAL IS FOR THE
CURRENT FLOOD STAGE OF 19 FEET TO BE LOWERED TO 18 FEET.  TENTATIVE
APPROVAL HAS BEEN GIVEN FOR THIS CHANGE WHICH WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE
TUESDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 31, 2006.

FLOOD STAGE IS THE ELEVATION ABOVE GAGE ZERO AT WHICH OVERFLOW OF
THE NATURAL BANKS OF A STREAM BEGINS TO CAUSE DAMAGE OR PRESENT A
FLOOD-DAMAGE HAZARD.  IT IS DETERMINED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE OFFICE IN COORDINATION WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

WHEN THE RIVER FORECASTS FOR BIRD CREEK NEAR OWASSO WERE MOVED TO
THE USGS GAGE ON MINGO ROAD IN JANUARY 1999...AN INITIAL FLOOD STAGE
OF 19 FEET WAS SET.  THIS WAS BASED ON A COMPARATIVE CREST-TO-CREST
STUDY WITH THE OLD GAGE AT THE HIGHWAY 169 BRIDGE.

HOWEVER...FLOOD EVENTS SINCE 1999 HAVE LED THE TULSA NWS OFFICE TO
RE-EVALUTATE THAT INITIAL FLOOD STAGE.  IN PARTICULAR ON MARCH 5-6,
2004...THE OWASSO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY NOTED WATERS AFFECTING
56TH STREET NORTH NEAR MINGO ROAD AT A STAGE NEAR 18 FEET.

THE TULSA NWS OFFICE HAD BEEN WAITING FOR ANOTHER FLOOD EVENT TO
CONFIRM THE FINDINGS OF MARCH 2004 EVENT.  HOWEVER..NO FLOODING HAS
OCCURRED.  INSTEAD OF DELAYING FURTHER...THERE IS ENOUGH CONFIDENCE
BASED ON THE 2004 EVENT TO PROCEED WITH THE FLOOD STAGE ADJUSTMENT.

THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY HAVE
GIVEN THEIR CONCURRENCE TO THE FLOOD STAGE CHANGE ON BIRD CREEK NEAR
OWASSO.  LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FROM TULSA COUNTY AND THE CITIES
OF TULSA AND OWASSO HAVE GIVEN THEIR CONSENT.

COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PROPOSED FLOOD STAGE CHANGE ON
BIRD CREEK NEAR OWASSO SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE SERVICE HYDROLOGIST
AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN TULSA.  PLEASE CALL US AT
(918) 838-7838...OR WRITE US AT THE ADDRESS BELOW:

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
10159 EAST 11TH STREET, SUITE 300
TULSA, OK 74128-3050
 
ALVIN HONG, SERVICE HYDROLOGIST
STEVEN PILTZ, METEOROLOGIST-IN-CHARGE