News Release Archive

Wyoming Area Snowmelt Runoff Forecast - Bighorn Basin

Media Contact: John H. Lawson, (307) 261-5671, jlawson@usbr.gov
Buck Feist, bfeist@usbr.gov

For Release: May 06, 2010

The Wyoming Area Office of the Bureau of Reclamation in Mills, Wyo., has prepared snowmelt runoff forecasts for the Shoshone and Wind Rivers of the Bighorn River Basin, according to John H. Lawson, Wyoming Area Manager. The May 1 forecast of the spring snowmelt runoff indicates below average April through July snowmelt runoff can be expected at all forecast locations within the Bighorn Basin in Wyoming except the Boysen watershed.

The Shoshone River portion of the Bighorn River Basin forecasted inflow to Buffalo Bill Reservoir during the April through July period is 450,000 acre-feet (af) (68 percent of average), compared to a 30-year average of 660,000 af. Approximately 35,000 af of the forecasted amount flowed into Buffalo Bill Reservoir during April, leaving 415,000 af of inflow forecasted for May through July.

In the Wind River portion of the Bighorn River Basin, the April through July snowmelt runoff into Bull Lake Reservoir from Bull Lake Creek is expected to be 135,000 af (96 percent of average), of which approximately 5,000 af was received in April; and the snowmelt runoff into the Wind River above Bull Lake Creek is expected to be 320,000 af (79 percent of average), of which approximately 25,000 af was received in April. The forecasted inflow to Boysen Reservoir for the April through July period has increased significantly to 570,000 af (103 percent of average), of which approximately 67,000 af was received in April, leaving 503,000 af of runoff forcasted for May through July. The May 1 forecasted inflow of 570,000 af is an increase of 170,000 af over the April 1 forecast and is attributable to improved snowpack conditions over the last 30 days in the basin, particularly in the Little Wind River watershed.

The Wyoming Area Office uses the most recent 30-year period (1980-2009) to determine average.

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Relevant Link:

Wyoming Area Office Home Page