Contact
Phil Rosenlund,
University of Wyoming
Cooperative Extension Educator
and
Communications Chair
State Drought Committee
310 West 19th
St. Suite 100
Cheyenne, WY. 82001
307 633-4383
e-mail philrosenlund@hotmail.com
States' Mountain Snow Pack Low
Wyoming's Spring runoff is faced with some of its lowest flows in years, because of low winter snow accumulation. The state drought committee was told recently that much of the state is between 50 percent and 70 percent of normal, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service's snow surveys show that areas like the Wind Rivers Mountains are only 40 % of normal.
The Wyoming Drought Management Task Force is co-chaired by Ron Micheli, director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture and Tom Osterman, State Forester. The drought committee recently heard reports from agency officials about the prospects of adequate moisture for this summer.
There is concern about spring runoff because of the low snow pack. "It comes at a bad time, because of the moisture shortage from last year," Micheli said. Hay production was low last year and demand for hay was high because of the drought. Hay supplies will probably be below average this year based on spring runoff estimates .
"The possibility of the snow pack reaching average is low this late in the year" said David Taylor, water supply specialist with the Natural Resource Conservation Service. "Even though we may get spring storms, snow usually does not accumulate in significant amounts in the mountains," Taylor added.
Kirk Miller from U.S. Geological Survey Service reported lower than normal stream runoff is likely. Bureau of Reclamination said that reservoir storage was about average, but with low inflows, reservoir levels will be very low in the fall. However most irrigation needs could be met with existing water amounts.
National Weather Services Bill Parker reported that long range forecasts for April, May and June were somewhat inconclusive about amounts of spring moisture.
Governor Jim Geringer last year appointed the state drought committee to monitor and coordinate the states response to drought. Seventeen state and federal agencies have input on the committee. Gov. Geringer last year requested and was approved by USDA that 23 of Wyoming's 24 counties be declared a drought disaster area. Currently several federal drought assistance programs are in affect here in Wyoming.
Bill Gentle, director of the Division of State Parks and Historical sites, has been chair of the Drought Monitoring Sub Committee for the State Drought Committee. Gentle said his committee has been meeting throughout the winter months to develop a long range state drought plan. "At this point, we have made progress," Gentle said. "We are better prepared to deal with drought this year than last year, if it occurs, and we hope it doesn't. We have looked at New Mexico's efforts and Colorado's drought plan to help us get some ideas of what will work best for Wyoming."
"Dry conditions can always create a fire hazard in the state and that their agency will continue to monitor and respond as necessary to the fire danger this summer," Osterman said. "Wyoming had 909 fires last summer and those fires burned 330,000 acres of Land."