BOISE,
ID, JANUARY 5, 2018 – The Natural
Resources Conservation Service just released the first water supply outlook
report for the 2018 water year.
Precipitation
since the water year started on October 1, 2017, varies across the state with
watersheds ranging from 70 to 130% of normal.
“September
gave us a good start on snowpack, but December was pretty dry, with only a
third of the normal precipitation across Idaho’s west-central and central
mountains,” said Ron Abramovich, Water Supply Specialist with the Idaho Natural
Resources Conservation Service. “The good news for water users is that last
year’s high snowpacks and runoff primed the hydrologic system and has kept
rivers and springs flowing above average well into this fall and early winter.”
This
year, the highest snowpack is in the Upper Snake above Palisades Reservoir at
112% of normal. The lowest snowpacks are approximately 40% of normal in the
Weiser and Owyhee basins.
“We’re
not quite halfway through the season, and a lot could change.” Abramovich said.
“La Nina conditions are present in the Pacific Ocean, and this typically means
that there will be wetter conditions in the second half of the winter in the
Pacific Northwest.”
For
information on specific basins, streams, and reservoirs, please view the full
report online at January Water Supply Outlook Report.