Despite Low Precipitation, Plenty of Water Remains

It’s been a drier winter than we’ve had in recent years – but officials at the Bureau of Reclamation say that we don’t have to worry about not having enough water come summer.

The Bureau of Reclamation released their water storage report yesterday, pointing out that the spring inflow to Bighorn Lake is expected to be just 72 percent of average, and snowmelt runoff into the Buffalo Bill Reservoir through July is expected to be 88 percent of the 30-year average.

However, Mahonri Williams, who is the chief of the Resources Management Division of the Wyoming Area Office for the Bureau of Reclamation, says that there is still plenty of snow in the high country.

The National Weather Service reports that last month’s precipitation across the state was 110 to 115 percent of average, and the current water year precipitation is averaging 95 to 105 percent of normal. The report states that as of right now, Wyoming reservoirs are averaging 70 to 75 percent of capacity.