(LANDER) — Fremont County is experiencing flooding on the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River in Lander and lower drainages of the Little Wind River due to warmer temperatures and snow melt. 

Areas affected include the city of Lander and the town of Hudson on the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie, plus areas within the Wind River Indian Reservation including the Arapahoe and St. Stephen’s communities and the Little Wind River area south of Riverton.  Other areas have isolated flooding.

“If you are near a waterway, please be monitoring the water level and be prepared to evacuate and/or evacuate if asked to do so by officials,” Fremont County Emergency Management Director Kathi Metzler said. “If your property is near a waterway, please secure any loose items including large items such as propane tanks so they do not enter the water stream. We have had several instances of floating debris blocking drainages, culverts and damaging riverbanks, creating additional flooding.”

Metzler said flood control efforts began Friday night when high water was reported in the City of Lander along the river.

“Since then problems have increased from the Popo Agie Estates in Sinks Canyon south of Lander all along the river system to Riverton,” she said.

In the 24 hours between Friday night and Saturday night, over 14,000 sand bags were placed at the highest risk locations, primarily in the Lander area. A total of 30,000 additional sand bags arrived Saturday night and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is sending 200,000 more sand bags, according to the Wyoming Department of Homeland Security.

Resources being utilized at this time are Fremont County government, City of Lander, City of Riverton, Town of Hudson, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Wyoming Office of Homeland Security, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Forestry and Wyoming National Guard units.  Resources provided to the general public include sand bags and sand.

Metzler said volunteers and organized units from area fire departments and public works departments in local municipalties have been erecting earthen dikes, placing sandbags and monitoring the rivers since Friday night. “There have been hundreds of volunteers giving their time to assist their neighbors,” Metzler said.

Dozens of citizen volunteers are assisting filling the sand bags at the county and city maintenance shops in Lander and in Hudson, at incident command headquarters at the Lander airport, and at the Fremont County Solid Waste Management District’s bale facility in Riverton.

Incident Commander Craig Haslam extended his gratitude to the tribal councils and county commissioners for their support and cooperation in the mitigation efforts.

At the Lander airport, a tractor-trailer unit loaded with bottled water began unloading 11 pallets, or about 660 cases of water to be distributed to volunteers and emergency personnel as needed.

Metzler said the public’s cooperation in working with officials on the flood event is appreciated.

Non-emergency numbers for assistance are 877-466-9115 and 307-287-7782, which will connect callers with the Fremont County Emergency Management’s incident command center at the Lander airport.