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- Wyoming Area Snowmelt Runoff Forecast - North Platte River Basin
News Release Archive
Wyoming Area Snowmelt Runoff Forecast - North Platte River Basin
Media Contact:
John H. Lawson, 307() 261-5671, jlawson@usbr.gov
Buck Feist, 406() 247-7607, bfeist@usbr.gov
For Release: May 07, 2010
The Wyoming Area Office of the Bureau of Reclamation in Mills, Wyo., has prepared snowmelt runoff forecasts for the North Platte River Basin, according to John H. Lawson, Wyoming Area Manager. The May 1 forecast of the spring snowmelt runoff for the North Platte Basin is above average.
Total April through July runoff in the North Platte Basin above Glendo Dam is expected to be 1,050,000 acre feet (AF) or 118 percent of the 30 year average of 891,100 AF. Approximately 800,000 AF (113 percent of average) of the runoff is expected to enter Seminoe Reservoir (of which 154,400 AF was received in April), with an additional 60,000 AF (98% of average) being provided to Pathfinder Reservoir from the Sweetwater River (of which 24,200 AF was received in April), and the balance of 190,000 AF (152% of average) coming from the basin between Pathfinder Reservoir and Glendo Reservoir (of which 84,900 AF was received in April).
Based on this forecast, all North Platte Reservoirs will fill to near capacity this year. The total conservation storage space is approximately 2.8 million AF, and it is anticipated that 2.6 million AF of water will be stored in the North Platte Reservoirs by the end of June.
The Wyoming Area Office uses the most recent 30 year period (1980-2009) to determine average.
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