YAKIMA, Wash. - The Bureau of Reclamation’s April 2018 Total Water Supply Available (TWSA) forecast for the Yakima Basin indicates the water supply will fully satisfy senior and junior water rights this irrigation season.
“The water supply outlook is very good right now," said Chuck Garner, Yakima Project River Operations supervisor. “Even though the mountains received low amounts of precipitation in March, the snowpack is just a little below normal and the reservoirs have above normal storage."
Reclamation will provide water supply forecasts monthly through July. Specific water delivery levels will not be determined until later in the year after reservoir storage begins to decline.
The April TWSA forecast is based on flows, precipitation, snowpack, and reservoir storage as of April 1, along with estimates of future precipitation and river flows. Other future weather conditions that determine the timing of the runoff and the demand for water also are critical in determining streamflows, prorations, and the extent to which the reservoirs fill.
“The conditions should lead to full reservoirs and good flow conditions this spring and summer," said Garner.
If spring precipitation and runoff are unfavorable, Reclamation still expects an adequate supply. Because longer term weather conditions can be unpredictable, Garner recommends water conservation always be considered by users in the Yakima basin.
For more information, visit Reclamation’s website at http://www.usbr.gov/pn/hydromet/yakima.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
