The Stehekin River is running high and mean this weekend, with a flood warning from the National Weather Service in effect for parts of Chelan County through Sunday night. Recent rain combined with rapid snowmelt is pushing the river toward its banks in the isolated Stehekin Valley, putting low-lying stretches of Stehekin Valley Road and Company Creek Road at risk of overtopping. If that happens, access could be cut off yet again for residents who are still fixing damage from earlier storms. Officials are urging anyone in flood-prone spots or campgrounds to head for higher ground and to stay out of standing water, especially in vehicles.
What forecasters say
The NWS Spokane office reports that runoff and rain could overtop culverts and spill into the lower Stehekin Valley, with Battalion Creek culverts starting to be overtopped and the northern end of Company Creek Road beginning to flood, according to the National Weather Service. Local reporting has echoed that same NWS guidance, flagging the low stretches of roadway and nearby campgrounds as the first places likely to see trouble as the warning period continues.
Gauges and thresholds
Published reporting lays out the key gauge-stage numbers that forecasters and locals watch closely: around 19.3 feet is when the Stehekin River first starts to slip out of its banks, roughly 20 feet is when some properties and a temporary corduroy bridge can be overtopped, and about 20.5 feet is when wood road surfaces may begin to take damage, according to The News Tribune. The U.S. Geological Survey operates the Stehekin River streamgage, which provides the real-time readings that get compared against those thresholds.
Safety: how much water is dangerous
Chelan County Emergency Management is leaning on familiar National Weather Service messaging and reminding people that as little as about 6 inches of fast-moving water can knock an adult off their feet and that around a foot of moving water can sweep a vehicle away, according to Chelan County. Officials and the NWS keep repeating the same blunt advice when drivers meet flooded roads: "Turn Around, Don't Drown." If a vehicle starts to hydroplane, drivers are told to ease off the accelerator and wait for the tires to regain traction rather than hitting the brakes.
Valley still recovering from earlier damage
The Stehekin Valley is going into this flood warning on the back foot after December storms, when a levee breach shifted the river and damaged stretches of both Company Creek Road and Stehekin Valley Road. Chelan County has brought in barge service to move rock into place for emergency repairs while federal and park partners discuss longer-term fixes, according to reporting by The Spokesman-Review. With that fresh in mind, residents are keeping a wary eye on every new surge of runoff this spring.
Where to get updates
People in and around Stehekin are advised to keep tabs on official forecasts and alerts, and to follow any evacuation orders or road-closure notices that come down. The latest information is available from the National Weather Service and on the Chelan County emergency page.
