Wet basements notwithstanding, Nibley doesn't expect spring flood problems

By Kevin Nielsen

March 28, 2005 | NIBLEY -- Buckets full of water shouldn't be a common site in Nibley this spring, City Administrator Larry Ahnders said.

On Friday Ahnders was out helping some homeowners set up sump pumps to get the water out of their basements. The four to five homes with problems were homes built without sump pumps, Ahnders said.

"Sump pumps are pretty common in Nibley," Ahnders said.

The flood problems are isolated instances, Ahnders said. Even in the neighborhood where the flooding occurred it was hit and miss when it came to specific houses. One house's basement was flooded while their neighbor's was dry as a bone.

These problems could be credited to the foot of snow that was still around last week plus the inch and a half of rain that the valley has received. Although, Ahnders said, the land drains that serve to drain ground water were working when city employees checked them this week.

As for flood concerns this spring, Ahnders said, he doesn't anticipate many problems. The mountain snow-water equivalent at Bug Lake is actually a little below average. The concern comes from the fact that the valley has received more precipitation than in any of the past five years. Last year Bug Lake was at 75 percent of what it is right now.

Still, the city of Nibley has taken precautions including cleaning out the river to help it flow better when the snow melts. Ahnders said the river's peak is in late May when the snows in the mountains starts to melt.

The Nibley City Council also passed a resolution allowing citizens to purchase flood insurance if they cared to do so.

Heavy, warm rains could compound the problem in the next few months Ahnders said but he doesn't anticipate any problems with flooding.

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