The creek didn’t rise

By KIM FUNDINGSLAND, Staff Writer, kfundingsland@minotdailynews.com
DUNSEITH – By any standard set for creeks in North Dakota, Willow Creek certainly ranks among the most notable small waterways in the state.


In a state where flowing creeks are a rarity as compared to neighboring Montana where trout streams abound, Willow Creek ranks among the most consistent and reliable of all North Dakota streams.


The headwaters of Willow Creek is the south side of Willow Lake in the extreme northwest corner of Rolette County. From that point, Willow Creek flows south until it joins the Souris River within the boundaries of the J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge. Prior to its intersection with the Souris, the waters of Willow Creek are often boosted by flows from two other steams, Ox Creek and Wolf Creek, the latter of which makes its junction with Willow Creek at the Bottineau County community of Willow City.


The three streams account for nearly all the drainage of Rolette County. When the winter snows begin to melt in the spring, the dormant streams often run bank-full. Willow Creek has a history of stepping out of its banks during the fast flows associated with spring melts, calling attention to itself by threatening residents along its route with muddy floodwaters. In a strange twist, the water that comes down the creek from near the North Dakota border with Canada dumps into the Souris and flows across the North Dakota/Manitoba border. This year, however, was an exception.


Willow Creek went through the entire spring uttering nothing more than a wimper. The non-performance didn’t go unnoticed by residents of the area who have grown accustomed to keeping an eye on the water in Willow Creek every spring.


“It barely even moved,” said Gary Eslinger, biological technician, J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge. “I can’t remember a date when that happened. I suppose maybe in the late ‘80s, when we were dry, it was low too, but it’s sure been a long time.”


Some residents of the Willow City area claim it’s been more than 70 years since Willow Creek failed to flow in springtime. Records supplied by the U.S. Geological Survey show that claim might be pretty accurate. It all depends on whether or not one wishes to rely on personal observations or “official” data that makes no specific claim of accuracy.


One thing is certain, Willow Creek can roar or rest. Peak flows erupted in Willow Creek to reach over 1,200 cubic feet per second in April 1969 and again in 1999. That compares to a long-term normal flow of 262 cfs for April. Six other times since 1956 Willow Creek challenged its neighborhood with rushing torrents exceeding 500 cfs. The most recent April gusher occurred in 2006 when the usually cooperative stream charged all the way up to 937 cfs in April after mustering a top flow of 37 cfs in March. As a result, much of the J. Clark Salyer Refuge was inundated as the torrent from Willow Creek collided with the rising waters of the Souris.


Now, the dramatic and historic flow of 2006 seems like it occurred 100 years ago. Willow Creek is as low now as anyone can remember, officially or not. The well known creek flows right through, or rather is supposed to flow through, the city of Dunseith. There, too, Willow Creek remains a combination of mud bars and shallow holding ponds rather than a moving and flexible body of water.


“There’s just not much water in there,” said Shelly Counts, city auditor.


“Yes, it’s low right now,” agreed Guy Ellis, superintendent, Garden Gate Golf Course.


According to the USGS, the drainage area for Willow Creek covers 1,160 square miles with an additional 730 square miles of contributing drainage connected by an assortment of small tributaries and coulee complexes. With all that area to draw water from, it seems all the more unusual that Willow Creek failed to awaken this spring. However, there have also been times in previous years when Willow Creek took some time off.


From 1961 to 1963 the top recorded spring flow in Willow Creek reached a mere 8.86 cubic feet per second. Early data, such as in the early ‘60s, is not believed to be as accurate as data compiled in latter years. That is particularly true following 1969 when the highest recorded runoff in Willow Creek occurred in April of that year at 1,242 cfs. That was also the year in which record flows were being recorded throughout the Souris River Basin. Following the flood of 1969 much more attention was given to acquiring precise data regarding spring runoff on tributaries such as Willow Creek.


In 1977, 1990, and again in 1991, the spring runoff readings for Willow Creek were zero. There have been other years with little spring flow in the meandering creek. For example, the April 2007 flow was a dismal 15.3 cfs and a mere 1.64 cfs was recorded in 1988. History shows that two consecutive years of little or no flow in Willow Creek is not without precedence, but a similar spring with little water movement in 2009 would place the three-year period of 2007-2009 among the most extreme eras in recorded history.


Kurt Lagerquist, Dunseith, has lived near Willow Creek for 51 years. Like many others  , the city maintenance supervisor says he can’t recall the creek ever being as low as it has been this year.


“It’s never been this dry. I’ve never seen it quite this low as far as downtown goes,” said Lagerquist. “I’ve never seen it in town here as dry like this. It’s just drier than dry can be.”