AUGUSTA, Maine — With near record snowfall in northern Maine and plenty of snow in the mountains, state officials say they’re worried about the potential for spring flooding.
The state’s River Flow Advisory Commission held its first meeting of the season on Thursday, and members were told the flood risk is "well above normal."
The snow in Aroostook is closing in on an all-time record, and the ongoing monitoring of the snow pack shows the water content of the snow is high, according to the state geologist. Because of continued cold weather, there has been little melting, and rivers are also still frozen with as much as a foot of ice.
The Commission group was told that the next few weeks will be critical when considering whether there is more snow or rain and how quickly temperatures warm up.
The greatest concern appears to be focused on Aroostook County, where the St. John and Aroostook Rivers have a history of flooding. While there are no current flood threats, the National Weather Service told the meeting a brief warm spell in late December caused some ice jams on those rivers, which then froze in place.
In many other parts of Maine there are dams and lakes that help to store water during the spring runoff. State officials and Brookfield Energy said those lakes have been deliberately lowered during the winter, to make room for melting snow.
In addition, the Coast Guard announced plans to start ice-breaking on both the Penobscot and Kennebec Rivers to help keep those rivers flowing, as ice breaks up farther upstream.
