Spring Runoff

The NWS says mitigation steps may need to be taken in preparation for possible flooding.

According to the report, the North Platte River past Casper will be at less than half of average through where it enters the Nebraska Panha

Montana area manager Steve Davies says the average is about 52 billion cubic feet.

Melting headwaters are a dynamic moving target that Bureau of Reclamation Supervisor, John Lawson, hopes to control over the next six weeks. An emergency flood management meeting Monday was packed as Lawson shared projections on flow scenarios; the worst being more precipitation falling on the record snow-pack that has yet to melt.

North Platte River levels will go up again this week as the Bureau of Reclamation works to get a jump on water runoff.  Starting  Monday night  and continuing to Wednesday, Bureau Supervisor, John Lawson, says they'll make incremental increases from 4500 to 5000 cubic feet per second.

Water levels at Alcova go up ten feet in April as the Bureau of Reclamation does the annual reservoir refill in anticipation of the irrigation season. Area Manager, John Lawson says, while the refill itself is standard, it will play a role in alleviating expected high runoff and inflow into the entire reservoir system this spring.

Federal reservoir managers began releasing water into the North Platte in eastern Wyoming, making room for heavy runoff from deep snow, but ice on the river and fluctuating temperatures will slow releases upriver. Listen Here: