Central Washington Reservoirs Filling Nicely

The news has been difficult for central Washington irrigators over the past couple of weeks; thankfully the news isn't all bad as the month of March draws to a close.

Keechelus Reservoir filled over the weekend, and releases are now underway to make room for incoming runoff.  Scott Revell with the Roza Irrigation District says the reservoir is expected to refill again soon.  Recent rain has improved conditions at Keechelus. Once projected to fall 70,000 acre-feet short, it could now refill late this season

Federal managers say reservoir operations are focused on maximizing refill during ongoing drought conditions.

Despite Lackluster Winter, Central Washington Reservoirs In Good Shape

Rimrock Reservoir is in a similar position, with releases happening now ahead of additional inflows.  Cle Elum Reservoir has been rising quickly; the Bureau of Reclamation plans to release 20,000 acre-feet in the coming days, with refill expected.

Currently, 78% of storage sits in the Yakima mainstem system. 

Snowpack this year remains slightly better than 2015 levels, the lowest on record, offering a modestly positive sign. 

Speaking of the Cle Elum Reservoir, the new fish passage system, the helix facility, will go online this year, helping sockeye smolt migrate downstream after two years of disruption.

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