April 11, 2023 |
Photo – Pick Bridge on the North Platte River – Bigfoot99 file photo
The real impacts of the March and April snows are yet to be felt, but preliminary numbers indicate a big spring runoff is coming.
The April forecasts from the Bureau of Reclamation indicate the spring snowmelt runoff will be above average for the North Platte River Basin.
Total April through July runoff in the above Glendo Dam is expected to be 1.15-million-acre-feet, which the Bureau reports is 125% of the 30-year average.
The total conservation storage capacity of the North Platte Reservoir System is approximately 2,815,800 acre-feet. As of March 31, 2023, the combined storage content in the North Platte Reservoirs was 1,310,200 acre-feet, which is 76% of the 30-year average.
Current releases are 530 cubic feet per second (cfs) from Seminoe Reservoir through the Miracle Mile. Releases out of Gray Reef Reservoir are 450 cfs. Releases from Glendo and Guernsey Reservoir are expected to begin by mid-April.
Based on current projections for the months of May, June, and July, the releases out of Seminoe Reservoir are expected to peak at around 2,600 cfs, while flows out of Gray Reef are expected to be in the range of 1,200 to 3,000 cfs. Releases from Guernsey will be in the 2,000 to 5,000 cfs range. Pathfinder Reservoir is not expected to spill this spring.
Based on the current water forecast, the Bureau said an allocation—or a call on river users– is not expected for North Platte Project contractors.
