Poinsett Update Email Received

One year ago I started giving heads up on the flooding potential. This year the outlook is much brighter for avoiding flood conditions. Our snow amount (we don't have any) could change, but the dry soil conditions, shallow ground frost and available storage area in numerous wetlands will contain a substantial amount of precipitation if it does come.

The one concern is the normal 'ice out method'. With large areas of Lake Poinsett already open and yet very hard 12 inch plus ice on the rest of it, this could be a different 'ice out condition'. Usually we hope for a warm up that honeycombs the ice long before we get open water. Open water allows the wind to really drive ice. Worst case is that we get those high winds before the ice has even begun to melt and it drives hard ice onto shore. The photos sent are to emphasize the unique situation happening currently on Lake Poinsett with the ice.

Rick Smith
Lake Poinsett/ North Central Big Sioux
Watershed Coordinator
PO Box 165
Hayti, SD 57241
605-783-3353