NID Snow Survey: 100 percent of average
The Union Staff
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1:49 p.m. PT Mar 28, 2008
The Nevada Irrigation District reported today that the snowpack on mountain watersheds holds 100 percent of average water content for this time of year.
The measurements were recorded Wednesday and Thursday by NID snow surveyors as part of the annual Apr. 1 snow survey. The survey is a key indicator of water availability for the coming year.
A month ago, the Mar. 1 snow survey measured 122 percent of average snowpack but March has produced only 2.5 inches or 24 percent of average precipitation at Bowman Reservoir, elev. 5650 ft..
Even so, this is shaping up to be a much better water year than last year when the mountain snowpack held just 53 percent of average water content on Apr. 1.
“With March being quite dry, I feel fortunate that we are still at average levels for Apr. 1,” said NID snow surveyor and operations supervisor Sue Sindt. “As the snowpack melts, we are gaining storage. We will continue to be conservative with our water releases as we try to fill the reservoirs.”
In the official April 1, 2008 snow survey, NID snow surveyors measured snowpack depth and water content on six snow courses ranging in elevation from 4,850 feet to 7,800 feet.
Average water content for the five highest elevation snow courses was measured at 34 inches, which compares to the 33.9-inch historical average for April 1.
NID’s 10 reservoirs are currently storing 163,800 acre-feet of water, which is 65 percent of capacity and 92 percent of average for this date. The district’s storage capacity is 250,280 acre-feet . An acre-foot equals one acre covered one foot deep.
A member of the California Cooperative Snow Survey, NID conducts three official snow surveys each year. Results of the snow surveys are used to predict water availability locally and statewide.
