MILLS, Wyo. – The Bureau of Reclamation has prepared the February snowmelt runoff forecasts and operating plans for the North Platte River Basin, indicating a below-average spring snowmelt runoff.
The February forecasts project total runoff from April through July in the North Platte River Basin above Glendo Dam to be 700,000 acre-feet (af), which is 75% of the 30-year average. The North Platte Reservoir System's total conservation storage capacity is approximately 2,815,800 af. As of January 31, 2025, the combined storage content in the North Platte Reservoirs was 1,516,896 af, which is 92% of the 30-year average.
Current releases from the reservoirs are as follows:
- Seminoe Reservoir: 530 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the Miracle Mile
- Gray Reef Reservoir: 500 cfs
- Glendo Reservoir: 0 cfs
- Guernsey Reservoir: No releases
Based on current projections for May, June, and July, releases from Seminoe Reservoir are expected to peak at around 2,600 cfs. Flows out of Gray Reef Reservoir are expected to range from approximately 1,000 to 2,500 cfs, while releases from Guernsey Reservoir will be in the 1,600 to 5,000 cfs range. Pathfinder Reservoir is not expected to spill this spring. Based on the current forecast, an allocation is not anticipated for North Platte Project contractors.
Reclamation’s Wyoming Area Office operates seven reservoirs on the North Platte River, with Seminoe Reservoir farthest upstream and Guernsey Reservoir farthest downstream. This system provides irrigation supply to hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland and produces power from six powerplants that supply electricity to tens of thousands of homes.
