reservoirs

Despite the warming daytime highs, the snowpack across Idaho still looks very good.  Erin Whorton with NRCS said the snow season was a good one across the state.   “We saw wetter than normal conditions north of the Snake River Plain, especially compared to last year, and we really saw a much better snowpack in northern Idaho compared to last year," she noted.  "The snowpack sout... Read

The water outlook for the Columbia Basin isn’t looking great, but things could change.  Larry Mattson, Director at the Office of the Columbia River, said a drier-than-normal winter seems to have left the Northwest with water supplies lower than normal.  But he acknow...

The Bureau of Reclamation released its April total water supply available forecast for the Yakima basin, which shows little change in the anticipated water supply for the season ahead.  Like the March report, this month’s forecast indicates the water supply will not fully meet irrigation demands this season.  The estimate ...

Like other programs under the USDA’s umbrella, NRCS has undergone budget cuts because of the Trump Administration’s effort to trim federal spending.  Matt Warbritton with NRCS said those cuts have translated into the termination of three staff members, leaving five full time positions to cover Washington, Oregon and northern California.   “Across that...

Snowpacks across Idaho are looking very good as we head into the final weeks of the snow season.  When it comes to individual basins across the Gem state, most are at or above normal for this time of year, with the one expectation being the Coeur D’Alene-St. Joe in norther...

The Bureau of Reclamation is out with its first water supply forecast of the year, and it looks like the Yakima basin may have a challenging irrigation season ahead.  Reclamation’s March 2025 total water supply available forecast indicates the water supply will not fully meet irrigation demands this season.  The early est...

As we move into the final months of the western snowpack season, how might what we see in the higher elevations translate to support of regional water supplies for agricultural irrigation and municipal H2O?   “Following two favorable winters, previously, California's intrastate reservoirs remain in reasonably good shape," noted USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey.  "This ye...

It may be early February, but there’s already concerns about irrigation this spring and summer because of the light snowpacks being reported across the west.   “The Snow Water equivalency percentage of averages to below normal just about everywhere and that does include much of the Northwest outside of Oregon and outside of the eastern slopes of the Northern Rockies,” said USDA Meteorologist Brad

With the end of the most intense portion of the irrigation season with in sight here in the Northwest, how is water storage fairing as we prepared to head into fall?  USDA meteorologist Brad Rippy said when it comes to the 11 Western states they watch, nine of those states either close to normal or above normal storage.   “...

With many farmers already thinking about the New Year, and what 2023 holds in store for their crop, their livestock and their operation, why should water be any different?  Producers across southern Idaho are very hopeful this coming winter will be a cool one with a lot of rain and snow to replenish aquifers.  Te...