Payette ice jam breaks up, moves downstream, reducing flood risk

Payette residents have been on flood watch recently because of melting snow and rising river water levels. Also a concern was a large ice jam on the Payette River near Dutch Lane.

The jam was large enough to block river water. On Wednesday morning at around 9:30 a.m., the jam weakened and broke free. It moved downstream and is no longer posing a risk, said Payette County officials. Water level on the Payette in the ice jam area has dropped significantly, they said. The main channel of the river is open.

Water levels on the Snake River have risen downstream of the jam’s current location, according to the county.

County officials are still monitoring river levels on the Payette and the Snake Rivers. The Payette County Sheriff’s Office asks that residents who live along the river continue to watch water levels as well and be prepared to take appropriate actions should river levels rise.

Payette County dispatch uses CodeRed, a mass notification system, to alert Payette County residents of emergency information. During the last 48 hours about 900 residents have signed up for CodeRed. County officials are urging residents to sign up so they can receive future emergency notifications.

Residents can sign up online: http://payettecounty.org/index.php/sheriff/codered-enrollment

This story was originally published January 11, 2017 at 3:29 PM with the headline "Payette ice jam breaks up, moves downstream, reducing flood risk."