MILLS, Wyo. - The Wyoming Area Office of the Bureau of Reclamation has prepared the April snowmelt runoff forecasts and operating plans for the North Platte River Basin.
The April forecasts indicate the spring snowmelt runoff will be above average. Total April through July runoff in the North Platte River Basin above Glendo Dam is expected to be 1,278,000 acre-feet (af), which is 134% of the 30-year average.
The total conservation storage capacity of the North Platte Reservoir System is approximately 2,815,800 af. As of March 31, 2020, the combined storage content in the North Platte Reservoirs was 2,301,500 af, which is 138% of the 30-year average.
Current releases are 2,600 cubic feet per second (cfs) from Seminoe Reservoir through the Miracle Mile. The North Platte Flushing Flow has been completed and flows are currently 1,500 cfs out of Gray Reef Reservoir, and 1,500 cfs out of Guernsey Reservoir. Based on current projections for the months of May, June, and July, the releases out of Seminoe Reservoir are not expected to exceed 4,000 cfs, while flows out of Gray Reef are expected to be in the range of approximately 3,000 to 4,000 cfs. Releases from Guernsey will be in the 4,000 to 5,200 cfs range. Pathfinder Reservoir is not expected to spill this spring.
Reclamation will update the inflow forecasts again in May.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
