Water Supply Committee reviews dry statistics
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI)-The Upper Snake region is falling well behind the rest of the state in mountain snowpack this winter.
The Idaho Water Supply Committee learned Thursday that snowfall is tracking almost identically to last year, except in eastern Idaho.
La Nina storms are dropping significant snowfall in western Idaho, the west-central mountains, Clearwater region, and Idaho Panhandle. But those storms have missed the Wood and Lost basins, mountains south of the Snake River, and the upper Snake.
Reservoir carryover is high, however, which could mitigate water supply problems for Snake River irrigators and other water users.
Bureau of Reclamation officials said Upper Snake reservoir storage is 2.7 million acre-feet, or 68% full overall. The total amount is 340,520 acre-feet less than last year, but still 350,000 acre-feet more than the long-term average.
In southeast Idaho and especially Pocatello, it has been abnormally dry. The Water Supply Committee learned the region has had the state’s lowest amount of precipitation, with just 1.61 inches of precipitation reported at the Pocatello Airport.
Water managers haven’t given up yet. Jeremy Dalling with the Bureau of Reclamation upper Snake field office, said “It’s really early, so things aren’t super alarming because it’s only January, and we have plenty of time to add snowpack, but things are very, very dry out there in places.” He said the Bureau would be storing as much water as possible and keep releases to a minimum for the 2021 irrigation season.
