Palisades Reservoir and Jackson Lake on the rise
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AFTON, Wyoming — The arrival of spring rain and warmer temperatures means one thing in Star Valley – snow is melting. For the Bureau of Reclamation, the spring run-off season means trying to predict what Mother Nature has planned.
“It is flood control season,” said Mike Beus, water operations manager for the Upper Snake River Field Office of the Bureau of Reclamation. “We have seen some early melt out this year, earlier than normal.”
Currently water levels in both the Palisades Reservoir and Jackson Lake are on the rise. Palisades is currently 78 percent full. Jackson Lake is 75 percent full.
“We anticipate that both Palisades and Jackson Lake will fill this year,” said Beus. “Early June is the normal time for being filled. Everything seems to be running early this year. So with that in mind it will take three to reach peak inflows and four to five weeks to top off the levels and be full.”
According to Beus, the Upper Snake River water system looks very good at this point. Water levels throughout the system will depend on what happens over the next few months.
“Two years ago we saw a very wet August and had some carry over that we were not expecting,” said Beus. “Then last year we expected not to fill the reservoirs and had a very wet May and were able to get them filled. So it just depends on what happens from year to year.”
“We have had some early demand for irrigation water and have actually been drawing down on Palisades,” Beus continued. “So it is possible that we will have a dry year and continue to draw down the reservoir and it could get low through the summer.”
If rain comes at regular intervals throughout the spring and summer seasons, however, then water demands downriver will not deplete the system, Beus said. “At this point we are getting some warm days but nights still have freezing temperatures,” Beus said. “So things are not really moving at this point too much. But we anticipate that it will start to move. It’s time for things to start moving.”
The Bureau of Reclamation will present stream flow forecasts and projected reservoir operations for Jackson Lake Dam and other Snake River reservoirs at a meeting on Thursday, May 19. The meeting will be held at the Antler Inn Conference Room, 43 West Pearl Street, in Jackson, Wyoming beginning at 6 p.m.
This article was originally published in the Star Valley Independent. It is used here with permission.