High water has Willow watching

WILLOW — They think there might be an ice dam to blame, but whatever is causing it, there’s water running down some Willow streets and residents and emergency crews are keeping a wary eye on Willow Creek.

Clint Vardeman, deputy director of emergency services for the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, said that for about a week now the water in the creek hasn’t been staying in its usual channel.

“There’s a bend in Willow Creek and it is trying to straighten out the bend,” he said.

There appear to be some older channels the water used in the past and is using again. Vardeman said about 20 acres are affected.

A borough press release said that as of Wednesday there was about a foot of water covering an intersection where three roads — Michelle Road, Gina Road and Shadow Road — come together. The flooding has been going on for at least the past two weeks.

Vardeman said Friday that was far as he’s heard that’s still the case.

“No one at this point in time is in any danger, it’s not a public safety issue,” he said.

Nor, he said, have any homes been damaged or even threatened, though the water has made life difficult for some who live in those homes.

“Last I knew water was not threatening them, it’s just the ability to get back to them is going to be a problem,” Vardeman said.

The borough said last week that one home off of Kenny Boulevard had water up to its porch. That family decided to go stay with a friend, the borough said, based on reports from the Red Cross. Another family off of Deneki Road also decided to leave because of the threat of flooding, the borough reports.

As to what’s causing the mess, Vardeman said it was likely an ice dam, but that the borough hadn’t been able to confirm that. He said the borough’s emergency manager, Tom Smayda, and a borough public works employee went up to take a look but couldn’t quite make it.

“Tom and the road service supervisor were trying to get back to it and they were breaking through the ice up to their knees so they decided that wasn’t a safe maneuver,” Vardeman said.

Willow Creek was one of a number of creeks that overran its banks in 2006 as streams and rivers across the Valley, from Sutton to Talkeetna, flooded. That flood, caused by heavy August rains, prompted a number of evacuations and damaged multiple homes.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.