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 below average. Total April through July runoff in the North Platte River Basin above Glendo Dam is expected to be 790,000 acre-feet (af), which is 86 percent 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, 2021, the combined storage content in the North Platte Reservoirs was 1,821,100 af, which is 107 percent of the 30-year average.
Current releases are 2000 cubic feet per second (cfs) from Seminoe Reservoir through the Miracle Mile. Releases out of Gray Reef Reservoir are 450 cfs. Releases out of Guernsey Reservoir are 0 cfs. Based on current projections for the months of May, June, and July, the releases out of Seminoe Reservoir are expected to peak at around 2,000 cfs, while flows out of Gray Reef are expected to be in the range of approximately 1,500 to 2,600 cfs. Releases from Guernsey will be in the 2,700 to 5,100 cfs range. Pathfinder Reservoir is not expected to spill this spring.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
