By Shane McAdams

Spring weather is upon us and things are changing. The snow has melted and the sun is shining, however when all that snow melts it has to go somewhere. For a large swath of the country that snow melt and run off water goes into the largest waterway in the country, the Mississippi River.

Quincy, Illinois sits securely on a bluff on the bank of the Mississippi River, and every year water levels rise as snow melts and drains into the river.

However, due to Quincy’s close proximity to the river, occasionally the rising water levels reach buildings and other structures along the river front.

Quincy has several parks and recreation areas that sit along the banks of the river. Quinsippi Island is a 130 acre park that has been largely submerged due to the flooding of the river.

But just how much has the river risen due to flood waters? According to the National Weather Service and their Advance Hydrological Records and Predictions, the river is in a stage two flood. With flood waters reaching 22.6 feet higher than usual, flood waters are also predicted to reach almost 24 feet by March 24.

However there are many more parks and structures along the river than just Quinsippi Island there are several other parks along the river that have been almost completely submerged. Bob Bangert park sits along the banks of the river and like many others it has been almost completely covered in water.

For many people in Quincy the rising water levels have very little influence in their everyday life. However for some, the rising water levels can block roads and even threaten property.

While many students are unaware of the rising water on the river front, students are still aware of the spring weather and what that means for the rest of the year.

“I’m super excited for the warmer weather, it means we can ditch the sweats and bring back shorts and flip flops. I’m also super stoked to start playing sand volleyball again and just hanging out outside in the sun,” Matt Friddle, sophomore, said.