Water Level Rising at Bighorn Lake
Written by Andrew-Rossi on May 16, 2018
Bighorn Lake should be ready to open for boating by Memorial Day Weekend.
That’s the word from the Bureau of Reclamation, who told attendees of the weekly conference call that the lake will soon reach an elevation that’s high enough to launch your boat and head toward the canyon.
The Friends of Bighorn Lake sent out an email yesterday, noting that if the levels reach 3620′ or above, boaters should be safe launching in Horseshoe Bend bay, but are urged to use caution. They say that South lake will still be too shallow.
The Bureau of Reclamation’s May forecast of the April through July runoff predicts that inflow to Bighorn Lake will be 1.74 million acre-feet, which is 149 percent of the 30 year average. The Bureau also forecasts that the inflow to Buffalo Bill Reservoir for that same period has been increased to 1.1 million acre-feet, which is 156 percent of average.
The National Weather Service reports that reservoir storages across Wyoming remained above average at 110 to 120 percent for May. Above average streamflow volumes are forecasted across portions of the Wind, Shoshone and Upper Yellowstone Watersheds.
