The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming

Waterlogged

With the deep snow and rain, no one has been surprised to see flooding in the area. The clearest indication of the amount of melt that has taken place since the snowstorm can be seen at the rest area, which was almost completely underwater as the week began.

Road & Bridge Foreman Morgan Ellsbury said that only a couple of areas in the county have consistently flooded since the thaw began last week. "There's not much of anything so far – not that affects the roads. I've only got a few places that are overtopping the roads," he said.

"I've got a place on the D Road a half mile off the interstate that it's pretty persistent and won't go down. It's just a matter of that I don't have enough culvert to it to deal with this type of run-off."

Moorcroft Public Works Director Cory Allison said there has not been any major issue with which his crew has had to deal; the storm drains are handling the flow, keeping the water from backing into resident's yards and basements.

However, "Whenever we get run off we always have problems with our lagoon. It fills up and the numbers go a little bit off, but we're through the worst of it now, I think."

Pine Haven Public Works Director Sunny Schell said the roads have been affected adversely by all of the moisture, “So we’re going to have quite a few that are going to need fixed.”

Schell maintains five lift stations around town; these stations each holds two pumps that alternate pushing the sewer up to the lagoon.

“Because I’m getting so much infiltration from the runoff, my lift stations are working way overtime. I’m keeping a real close eye on them,” Schell said. She is not concerned with the lagoon as she discharges the town’s lagoon during the summer with the support of the DEQ, saying, “I make sure that all my ponds are way down to compensate for any moisture I get throughout the winter.”