Tetona Dunlap is a graduate student in journalism at the University of Montana. She is an enrolled member of the Eastern Shoshone tribe from the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming.

Tetona Dunlap

Melting mountain snowpack and rain are responsible for record water levels. Washakie Reservoir on the Wind River Reservation near Fort Washakie is at capacity and access has been closed. The dam sits on the South Fork of the Little Wind River.

The Little Wind River was measured at 11.96 feet on Wednesday, well above the flood stage of 8 feet. The previous record was 10.85 feet set in 1963.

About 200 members of the Wyoming National Guard have been deployed to help evacuate people and sandbag homes.

Wind River Reservation residents have been advised not to use 17-Mile Road bridge that crosses the Little Wind River west of Arapahoe due to damage caused from floodwaters.

The water treatment plan in Ethete was also compromised earlier on Wednesday, but according to the Fremont County Public Health the water was testing clean and is back up and running.

The flooding in Fremont County is forcing the Wyoming National Guard to make its biggest in-state activation since 2000.

The flooding is affecting a 22-square-mile area of Fremont County with about 2,100 homes flooded or threatened by flooding.

Currently there are no accurate count of homes with actual water damage or the number of people displaced.

Tags: Eastern Shoshone, Ethete, flooding, Fort Washakie, Fremont County, Gwen Florio, Little Wind River, Native American news, Northern Arapahoe, Washakie Reservoir, Wind River Indian Reservation, Wyoming floods, Wyoming National Guard