I pulled together the following historical narrative from abstracts of articles in the La Crosse Tribune dating from 1990. You can find many of the abstracts I consulted here. There is also some history and detailed future plans in the 2008 Floodplain Taskforce report.
At any rate, the narrative below contains all the information you will need to find the cache, which is located at N 43° 45.ABC, W 091° 12.DEF. If you were in La Crosse during the time period under consideration, please feel free to share your perspective when logging your experience.
A = Subtract 1 from the decade (3rd digit) of the last major Pammel Creek flood.
B = The time (in years) between when the initial plans were set and when the new floodplain boundaries were approved locally.
C = The month in which the FEMA exception was announced.
D = The amount by which the project's final cost exceeded the initial estimate, in millions of dollars.
E = The sum of the digits in the length of the channel in miles.
F = The difference between the digits in the length of channel in miles.
You will be looking for a small pill bottle placed ALONG the Pammel Creek flood control channel. Note that the cache is NOT in the channel or even in the flood plain.
Historical Narrative:
Before the construction of the huge concrete channel that now conveys Pammel Creek from just east of Hagen Rd. down to its outlet into the Mississippi River, the homes and property along the creek were prone to seasonal flooding. The most significant flooding occured in 1978 when Pammel Creek overran its banks and caused significant property damage in the Ebner Coulee and Pammel Creek watersheds.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, talk intensified of constructing a flood control channel to more reliably convey the creek approximately 2.4 miles through the lower south side neighborhoods. By 1990 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had plans set for a $30 million construction project. A healthy community conversation ensued, with some residents expressing concerns about the funding, aesthetics, and safety of the proposed project.
Amid much public debate, U.S. Congressman Steve Gunderson announced in January 1991 that he would be asking for a delay on the Army Corps of Engineers' Pammel Creek flood control project because of the concerns being expressed. The Town of Shelby, which would be contributing $350,000 to the project, responded that it had no intention of stopping the project unless a delay would result in lower costs or a better final product. Just over a year later, Representative Gunderson (who has a remarkable history of his own) argued in front of a congressional committee that the city of La Crosse required additional funding for the project. His arguments were apparently persuasive, for in February 2002 an additional $3.9 million was included in President George Bush's budget request to support the project.
Construction continued through the early 1990s and was eventually completed at a total cost of more than $35 million. In November 1993 the La Crosse Common Council passed Ordinance No. 3451, which amended the floodway zoning boundaries following the completion of the Pammel Creek Flood Control Project. The project had the effect of constraining the floodplain to the channel itself as well as small portions of some of the adjacent streets.
The payoff from the project was nearly at hand. All that remained was to obtain the necessary governmental clearance to eliminate the need for residents to purchase flood insurance. Eight months later, in June of 1994, the La Crosse Tribune ran an article announcing "FEMA Exempts Pammel Creek from Flood Insurance Req," bringing closure to one of the more significant engineering projects undertaken in the City of La Crosse in recent history.
Thanks to JBase for agreeing to keep an eye on my remaining La Crosse metro hides 