Muskingum river update
ZANESVILLE, Ohio – The Muskingum County Emergency Management Agency has continued to check the Muskingum river’s conditions.
With the warmer temperatures the ice is melting and the E.M.A. has continued to monitor and update the community on the river’s conditions. Executive Director Jeff Jadwin acknowledged that calls have been made regarding Coshocton County and Morgan County possibly using dynamite on their ice jams.
“I have checked with those counties they are not,” Jadwin said. “Permits have not been asked for to do it and the Army Core of Engineers is saying no. So everybody wants to just let it go away on its own.”
Photo By: Nathan Zangmeister
Jadwin said if dynamite was used it would only cause more damage to the structures down stream. Jadwin wanted to warn people to stay back away from the river.
“People do not go out onto this ice and try to bust it up or see if you can play on it,” Jadwin said. “The last thing I want is the first responders having to rescue someone or recover a body, because someone ended up in the water under the ice. So please keep off the ice.”
According to Jadwin the water is lower between terrace shores and Dresden. However, from Dresden towards Coshocton County it has risen because of the ice jam by State Route 208’s bridge.
“The people need to be very cautious this weekend, the water could rise rapidly,” Jadwin said. “If you live near the river you need to be very watchful of what’s going on. Last Saturday it rose four feet in 30 minutes, that could happen again this weekend and be a problem.”
Photo By: Nathan Zangmeister
The Muskingum County E.M.A. has requested that anyone living along the river that has disabilities or special needs provides their address to the Emergency Management Agency. The E.M.A. is recording addresses in case of emergency.
To report information contact either the Muskingum County E.M.A. office at (740) 453-1655 or by calling the Muskingum County Sheriff’s office at (740) 452-3637.
To stay up to date on the river’s conditions visit the Muskingum County E.M.A. Facebook page or monitor Everbridge by going to citizensalert60.org.
