Haywood County boosts river gauges to improve flood monitoring and safety
- (WLOS) — With any heavy rainfall, it's imperative to monitor river levels.
- The network was strengthened after Tropical Storm Fred a few years ago, and now even more equipment is coming.
- The river gauges can record water levels in area rivers and creeks in real time and they're monitored by Haywood County leaders.
HAYWOOD COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — With any heavy rainfall, it’s imperative to monitor river levels. Leaders in Haywood County have been installing new river gauges in response.
It’s ongoing work. The network was strengthened after Tropical Storm Fred a few years ago, and now even more equipment is coming.
The river gauges can record water levels in area rivers and creeks in real time and they’re monitored by Haywood County leaders. That’s exactly what happened during Helene.
“They were telling us the height of the river and then we could also estimate what the height was going to get up to, where it was going to crest. We knew what areas we had to get people evacuated,” said Board of Commissioners Chairman Kevin Ensley.
Ensley said the network of river gauges was bolstered after Tropical Storm Fred in 2021.
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“We’ve put out more river gauges to where we can monitor the river a lot better,” said Ensley.
Commissioners have approved funding for 7 more gauges with most along the Pigeon River.
Five of those are operational but owned by the US Geological Society at a yearly cost of $86,000 which Pactiv Evergreen had previously paid for but not anymore.
The county will now fund and replace those gauges with its equipment.
“They’re mostly in Cruso, down at the Canton mill, at the old paper mill, and then on West Fork, and Little East Fork,” said Ensley.
Haywood County is going to install two new gauges at Allens Creek in Waynesville and Jonathan Creek in Maggie Valley.
Ensley said it requires some paperwork to get the new gauges placed.
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“We’re having to get encroachment permits from the NCDOT so that we can put those on the bridges,” said Ensley.
Ensley said it’s all designed to keep people safe.
“That’s the whole goal is to get people out of harm’s way,” said Ensley.
Ensley hopes to see the new gauges up by May.
You can click here to monitor river levels.