YAKIMA, Wash. - The Bureau of Reclamation’s May 2021 total water supply available forecast for the Yakima basin indicates the water supply will satisfy all senior and junior water rights this irrigation season.
“The water supply outlook is good, even though March and April were very dry throughout the basin with a two-month combined precipitation of 40% of average at the Yakima Project reservoirs," said Chuck Garner, Yakima Project River Operations supervisor. “The basin snowpack is holding up well and remains above normal in spite of the low precipitation and the reservoirs have near normal storage."
Reclamation manages the water in the five Yakima Project storage reservoirs, along with the basin’s unregulated inflows to fulfill water rights, water contracts and instream flow obligations. Water shortages in the basin are shared equally by the junior water rights, which represent over half of the water rights in the basin.
Reclamation will provide an updated water supply forecast monthly-at least through July-using the latest data each month to reflect any changing conditions as they develop.
The May water supply forecast is based on flows, precipitation, snowpack, and reservoir storage as of May 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 stream flows, pro-ration rates and the extent to which the reservoirs fill.
“We are grateful that, despite the dry conditions, the snow and reservoir storage appear adequate to meet normal demands, but we must manage the water carefully," said Garner.
For more information, visit Reclamation’s website at https://www.usbr.gov/pn/hydromet/yakima.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
