ID: GIER01

 Date Identified: 3 Apr 20
WBS Item:

Not applicable

 Threat: Flooding on the Missouri River can make the island inaccessible. Rating

High
Severity:

Catastrophic

 Context:

Goat Island is an island on the Missouri River.  The Missouri River is prone to flooding larger enough to forbid recreation on the river.  If this happens, then none of the caches on Goat Island would be available to cache hunters.  The only caches available to participants are low D/T caches on either side of the river.

 

The Missouri River is prone to Spring flooding.  The Missouri River flooded in the Omaha area 2018 and 2019 so it is possible.  The likelihood of having a third heavy flood is unlikely, but not impossible.  Hence, the “Seldom” rating.
Probability:

Seldom
Originator:

PM
Owner:

All
Trigger:

This is a risk inherent to cache hunting on rivers.
Risk Responses:
Avoid: Scheduling the excursion for mid-Summer will increase the likelihood that any flooding will pass.  The national weather service has a webpage that tracks water levels at Gavins Point Dam, a short distance upstream from Goat Island.  The team can monitor it to ensure water levels are safe for recreational boating.  One can find this web page via a simple Google search.
Avoid: Cache hunters must be prepared to re-schedule the excursion for a time when the water level is at a level safe for recreational boating.  Since the National Park Service will be ferrying many cache hunters to and from the island, this will be easy.  The NPS will not ferry people if the river conditions are not safe.
Accept: There is no way to control the weather or water levels on the Missouri River.
Risk Controls:
Accepted There is no way to control the weather or water levels on the Missouri River.
   
Status:

Risk will remain open until after the excursion.

 

 
Lessons Learned:

 
Approved by:

 

 Closing Date:

 

 Closing Rationale: