City officials are inviting business owners and residents along the Rock River to a meeting at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the council chambers at City Hall, 18 N. Jackson St.
City officials will share information and answer questions about high water levels and potential impacts. The meeting will focus on properties located in the Mole & Sadler’s subdivision, along Main Street in downtown Janesville and other riverfront properties that may be affected.
For questions, call the city manager’s office at (608) 755-3177.
NEWVILLE — The tree a few feet from the Rock River in Spencer DeRemer's backyard marks the 2008 record flood.
The orange spray-painted line with the numbers "0-8" show how much deeper—more than 4 feet—the rising Rock River has to get to reach last year's record.
"Unless something catastrophic happens like last year with the rain, I don't see anything major happening," DeRemer said. "This is pretty much a normal spring."
Some of his neighbors talked about getting sand to start bagging, but he told them to look at his tree.
"See where that orange mark is?" he told them. "When it gets three-quarters of the way up there, we'll get sand."
As the river creeps up again, nerves are beginning to fray for riverside residents and business owners. Last summer's flooding forced many to evacuate or close.
"You're a little more apprehensive," DeRemer said.
He's lived on the river since 1992 and had never given flooding much thought until last year.
"Everybody's a little gun shy, right now. A whole lot gun shy, actually," he said with a laugh.
The Rock River in Newville hit 11 feet at 4 a.m. today. It will continue to rise to near 11.5 feet by Sunday morning, with additional rises possible.
Vern Berg, DeRemer's next-door neighbor on Ellendale Road, has a pump running about every minute removing water from his basement.
Both neighbors made it through last year without flood damage, but it was the first year out of Berg's 32 years on the river that he had to sandbag.
This year, he bought flood insurance for the first time.
"It worried me last year," he said. "It was just worth it to have flood insurance—peace of mind, not to worry."
Nearby, where Lake Koshkonong empties into the Rock River, homes and streets already are flooded in the Mallwood subdivision. North Lakeview Drive has become part of the lake, and several homes are surrounded by water.
In Janesville, the city Wednesday closed Joseph and Elgin streets in the Mole & Sadler's subdivision. City crews placed sandbags between Milwaukee Street and Firehouse Park on the east side of the Rock River.
In Afton, the river hit 11.1 feet at 4:15 a.m. today. It is expected to crest near 11.8 feet by Friday night, then begin falling. Floodwaters now surround several homes in that area, Rock County Sheriff's Cmdr. Troy Knudson said.
Deputies on Wednesday closed River Road south of Janesville between Avalon and Oakley roads, and water covers Christianson Road in Happy Hollow, he said.
Back in Newville, John Kinnett, owner of Anchor Inn bar, restaurant and boat rental, was feeling "nervous but optimistic" Wednesday. Last year, he was forced to close June 15 to July 15—the worse possible time of the year.
He's hopeful 2009 will be different.
"This year, we will not be shut down," he said. "We have plans to build a dike if we have to."
With better preparation, including plans for a concrete barrier with sandbags if needed, Kinnett said, "we're not going to let it destroy everything this year."
He invested about $35,000 in his business after the floods receded last year.
He tells his wife the flooding builds his character.
"I'm full of character right now," he said laughing.
