What's the best way to predict flooding on the Turkey River?

Spillville experienced flooding in 2008 (Photo courtesy of the City of Spillville)

A river level gauge on the Turkey River at Spillville will be discontinued July 1st because of funding cutbacks.  However, the US Geological Survey, which has been maintaining the gauge, says it will keep operating the river gauge if it receives $8,900 in funding from local sources.

Winneshiek County Emergency Government Director Sean Snyder told county supervisors Monday he thinks the river gauge is worth the funding.  Snyder says the City of Spillville is promising to pay some of the needed funding, while Clayton County and Fayette County officials have also been contacted.

Winneshiek County supervisor Mark Kuhn said he thinks that money could be better spent on funding river gauges upstream from Spillville, saying the Spillville river readings help communities downstream more than they do communities in Winneshiek County. 

Clayton and Fayette County officials now are being invited to a meeting at 8:00 p.m. Wednesday at the Inwood in Spillville to see what kind of funding agreement can be reached.  Supervisor Dean Thompson pointed out that USGS river gauges can be used by the National Weather Service to make predictions on flooding levels, just like a river gauge near Bluffton that recently was upgraded to such technology.