MARCH SNOWFALLS BOOST WATER SUPPLIES FOR MUCH, BUT NOT ALL, OF OREGON

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact information:
Jon Lea, USDA NRCS Snow Survey Team Leader: (503) 414-3267, Jon.Lea@or.usda.gov

PORTLAND, OR, APRIL 13, 2009 – March brought new snow to all Oregon basins, boosting water supply conditions throughout much of the state.

“Overall water supply conditions improved in March,” said NRCS Snow Survey Team Leader Jon Lea with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). “Statewide, the snowpack measured 114 percent of average on April 1.”

NRCS recently released the latest water supply data for Oregon in the current Water Supply Outlook Report.

Last month’s precipitation and snowpacks were near to above average for nearly all basins last month. In addition, reservoir refill prospects and projected April through September streamflows have rebounded in many areas since March 1.

Despite last month’s gains, precipitation for the water year, which began on October 1, is mostly near to below normal levels. As a result, water supply conditions through September will vary across Oregon. According to the report, significant improvements were not realized in areas in southeast Oregon, Lake County, and Goose Lake and Owyhee Basins, where snowpacks remain below average.

The report also indicates that summer low flows will arrive earlier than normal this year in the Owyhee, Lake County, Goose Lake and Harney Basins. Water users in these areas can refer to the detailed data in the Water Supply Outlook Report to help them plan ahead to limit effects of reduced summer water supplies.

The full April 1 Oregon Water Supply Outlook Report can be viewed online at: http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/cgibin/bor.pl. The report provides a summary of snowpack conditions, precipitation, reservoir storage, and forecasted streamflows at monitoring points in each major basin in the state.

For additional information, please contact the local NRCS office, or the NRCS Snow Survey office at (503) 414-3267.

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