Dwindling Flood threat...

Paddling buddy Arlene looks up from the Upper Tohickon during an '06 April trip.

We are experiencing the perfect melt-down of snow in the river basin and that means a drastically reduced threat of the dreaded SPRING FRESHET, which is a mostly out of use term for the type of flood that results from a rapidly melting snow pack.

The Delaware River at the Belvidere Gage is a few feet higher than normal, but it is still a long way from flood stage. The Lehigh is also running considerably higher than normal for this date, and that is the point: we are having a late snow melt thanks to the late ice and snow storm.

With no heavy rain in sight, it looks like we'll get through one of the most vulnerable times of the year for flooding, without another nasty event. About half the record Delaware River floods have occured during the SPRING FRESHET period; April 2005 was a classic example.

Sadly I missed a Musconetcong River trip today, had a piano gig. For shame as it was running a near perfect 3.00'.