The Wyoming Area Office of the Bureau of Reclamation in Mills, Wyo., has prepared snowmelt runoff forecasts for the North Platte River Basin, according to Carlie Ronca, Wyoming Area Manager. The May 1 forecasts indicate the spring snowmelt runoff for the North Platte Basin will be below average.

Total April through July runoff in the North Platte Basin above Glendo Dam is expected to be 320,000 acre feet (AF). The April through July expected runoff is comprised of approximately 250,000 AF into Seminoe Reservoir, 20,000 AF into Pathfinder Reservoir from the Sweetwater River, and 50,000 AF from the basin between Pathfinder Reservoir and Glendo Reservoir. The anticipated 320,000 AF (of which 115,600 AF was received in April), is 37% of the 30 year average of 870,000 AF.

The total conservation storage capacity of the North Platte Reservoir System is approximately 2,815,800 AF. Current total storage for the North Platte Reservoir System, as of April 30, is 2,005,405 AF, which is 121% of the 30-year average of 1,662,300 AF.

“The May forecast improved slightly but is still far below average. In spite of that, we expect the very good current reservoir storage conditions to allow us to provide our North Platte Basin contractors with a full water supply this year,” Ronca said.

 

 

 

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