Minor flooding expected due to Tuttle Creek Lake releases

The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Warning for the Big Blue River near Manhattan effective until further notice. Minor flooding is expected along the river but no evacuation advisories have been issued and water is not expected to impact neighborhoods.

The US Army Corps of Engineers is releasing water from Tuttle Creek Lake at a rate of 25,000 cfs in effort to lower the lake level to 1105 ft. Releases at this rate will likely continue for several weeks. The current lake level as of 3:30 p.m. Thursday is 1125.08 ft.

Boating, canoeing, kayaking, and swimming are not recommended on the Big Blue River or Kansas River during periods of high water release. Fast moving flood waters can trap boaters against debris and hidden obstacles, creating a very dangerous situation. Smaller lakes such as Pottawatomie State Fishing Lake 2 provide a better option for watersports during flood conditions on local rivers.

Sign up to receive emergency alerts for Riley County at www.rileycountyks.gov/alerts and Pottawatomie County at www.pottcounty.org/ealerts. Flood information is also available on Facebook at ManhattanFloodUpdates and Twitter @updatesflood