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Snow Pack isn't that great so far.[unsure] Here's a link.
[url "http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/reports/UpdateReport.html;jsessionid=E5AAC8E26CDC5E73C1EC7FDA50AFEB78.jvm1?report=Idaho&condensed=true"]http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/reports/UpdateReport.html;jsessionid=E5AAC8E26CDC5E73C1EC7FDA50AFEB78.jvm1?report=Idaho&condensed=true[/url]
Hopefully this prediction is correct.
[url "http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/expert_assessment/seasonal_drought.html"]http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/expert_assessment/seasonal_drought.html[/url]
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The prediction is sure not reflecting what I see in my lower pasture. Usually there is at least 30" of snow there and sometimes as much as 60". Right now I dought there is 6". There would have to be one heck of a lot of snow in March.
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Too bad NY couldn't send some to us.
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Boys the wet weather is coming. At least down here in Utah. Hopefully it'll wander up to youse guys.
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BrianID,
Yep, the fishing is headed down hill. It will be good this year though....
If I read the prediction correctly, most of Idaho stays the same but there is some improvement around the north fork of the Snake & Island Park. I think that means long term problems for Bear Lake, Chesterfield and Am. Falls. I guess we will have to get them this year and then be mobile in the years to follow...
FR
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fishingrocket,
I know, the fishing in Idaho is no good any more. Everyone should go fish somewhere else.
If we get at least average precipitation this spring and Summer I don't think we will see any reservoirs drained completely dry this summer. I could be wrong though. More water would always be better.
Most of the water that fills up American Falls comes from the Henry's Fork and South Fork. If those areas have enough snow pack American Falls will do alright. At this point I think American Falls is in worse shape than it was in 2006. Hopefully it doesn't get drained too low this winter.
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Currently American Falls is at 85% per cent Bureau of Reclamation.
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Did I miss something? I know Am Falls is drawn down very low every year but 5%? What is the reasoning?
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American Falls is managed for irrigation. If we have poor snow pack then the fishing at American Falls suffers. The trout and perch can rebound in a couple years if we have good water. Just as the smallmouth fishing at American Falls looks like it will be fairly good, the reservoir gets drained almost dry. From 2000-2004 American Falls was drained to 5% full at the end of the irrigation season. If I remember correctly 2 or 3 of those years it was down to 2%-3% full.
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tomegun,
I know your question was not addressed to me but I can't help but to jump in here.
If my memory serves, American Falls is drained (typically) in any year where the snowpack approaches normal. This amounts to a level of between 3 and 10 % that will occur near the end of September (typically). In 2006, a year where snowpack was far above normal, American Falls hit a low of about 15 %.
Some of us (ironically) celebrated at how good this (15%) was. When you compare 15% to the disaster that occurs to the ecosystem at 3%, it is relatively "good".
I don't know, but have been told that agricultural users downstream (Magic Valley etc.) have the water rights and determine the flow and resultant levels. Rumor has it that some of the more greedy users sprinkle fields that don't need it, harvested or not to document how much they need and prevent future curtailments.
It could be that some of the water goes to washing the salmon and steelhead smolt down the Columbia. I personally hope that the water is used for that purpose vs. the agricultural uses. I have also seen some litigation recently about water rights downstream so we may see more bad news shortly. You know something is wrong when you see Jensen's Grove (Blackfoots city park) drained mid-summer but go to the Burley area and see water everywhere - golf course, every ditch field and pond. I even heard that they were cutting off water to new homes in Blackfoot so they could suck more downstream.
Well, at least I got to vent a little. Thanks for listening. Next we can discuss cattle grazing on the reservoir "bottoms" when it is at low level and what the source of mercury in the reservoir is.
FR
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] I'm mostly worried that American Falls will be drained very low (<5%) by the end of September 2007.