Latest news with #NevadaWaterSupplyOutlook
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Lake Mead in for a painful summer after dry winter
Rapid snow melt across Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, pushed some basins from above-average snowpack to snow drought conditions in under a month, with snow disappearing up to four weeks early, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. (Photo of Lake Mead at Hoover Dam: Jeniffer Solis/Nevada Current)) Lake Mead's infamous bathtub ring is expected to get bigger this summer as low snowpack levels in the Rocky Mountains choke the reservoir's biggest source of water – the Colorado River. Snow melt from the Rocky Mountains contributes about 85% of the total water flow in the Colorado River, but those flows will likely be lower than usual this summer, according to federal data. Across the Rocky Mountains the snow season had a strong start, then came one of the driest winters on record, followed by rapid snow melt that bodes poorly for river flow in the summer. Mountain ranges across the Rockies didn't reach peak snowpack in April, and only hit about 63% of average peaks. With less snow, runoff into Lake Powell is expected to be cut nearly in half this year, according to the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center. Water levels in Lake Powell, the nation's second largest reservoir, directly impact Lake Mead because streamflow to Lake Powell is eventually released to Lake Mead. Combined storage in Lake Powell and Lake Mead is down 920,000 acre-feet from this time last year, or enough water to supply about 1.8 million single-family homes for a year. A 'dreadful winter' means a high likelihood of 'extreme and exceptional drought' is in store for areas of Southern Nevada, according to the Nevada Water Supply Outlook prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service. 'In 2023 it was a great runoff year with a really big snow pack. But we're not going to see anything like that this year,' said Jeff Anderson, a USDA hydrologist and water supply specialist. Water supply estimates for the seven Colorado River Basin states were reduced in April after rapid and early snowmelt wiped out snowpack in the region. Rapid snow melt across Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, pushed some basins from above-average snowpack to snow drought conditions in under a month, with snow disappearing up to four weeks early, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. 'The snow pack has melted much quicker than normal,' Anderson said. 'It dropped much quicker than the normal drops.' 'Oftentimes the snow packs don't start to melt as early as they started this year. It's like a locomotive. Once the snow pack absorbs enough energy from the sun and from the temperature and starts to melt, it's very difficult to stop that process,' he said. As snowpack melts, it recharges ecosystems and replenishes reservoirs that provide drinking water for millions of people and irrigation water for millions of acres of farmland. But early melt means water leaves the region before the summer when it's most needed. The quicker snow melts the more likely it is to evaporate too. Less snowmelt making its way to the Colorado River is part of a larger trend. Colorado River streamflow has shrunk by about 20% since 2000, with further declines projected due to climate change. The seven Colorado River Basin states that depend on the river's water are currently working on setting rules for sharing a dwindling water supply after 2026, when current operating guidelines are set to expire. But negotiations over water allotments in the country's two largest reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead, have stalled. Two consecutive winters with robust snowpacks gave states that rely on the Colorado River a few more years of stability, but with a dismal water year approaching tensions appear to be growing. Colorado River negotiators — one from each of the seven states that use Colorado River water — will not be speaking at a major water law conference in June, despite having appeared together at the conference for the last few years. That divide has come up at the other annual appearances, too. In December, negotiators opted to split into two separate panels at the Colorado River Water Users Association conference in Las Vegas after appearing together for years. The two camps – the Upper Basin states of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico, and the Lower Basin states of California, Arizona and Nevada – have been at an impasse since March after submitting two competing proposals for managing the river. One of the biggest sticking points between the two basins is whether or not Upper Basin states should absorb mandatory water cuts during dry years, despite using significantly less than their 7.5 million acre-feet Colorado River allocation year-after-year. Historically, Lower Basin states have used nearly all their 7.5 million acre-feet Colorado River allocation under the 1922 Colorado River Compact, while Upper Basin states use about 4.5 million acre-feet annually, significantly less than their total allocation. Lower Basin states argued all seven states should share water cuts during dry years under the new post-2026 guidelines. If they don't, downstream states warned they could face water cuts they can't feasibly absorb. If the states can reach an agreement by May, then the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation can consider the proposal as part of its longer process. In the absence of a seven-state agreement on how to manage the basin's water supply, the Bureau of Reclamation would move forward with its own management options. Bronson Mack, a public outreach coordinator for the Southern Nevada Water Authority, said Nevada's Colorado River negotiator, John Entsminger, is actively attending closed-door meetings and working towards compromise. However, details from those meetings have been scant. Another fissure among states appeared after House Republicans approved a last-minute amendment to sell off nearly 11,000 acres of public land in Utah that appears to follow the pathway of the planned Lake Powell pipeline, a decades-long and highly controversial attempt by Utah to pipe water from Lake Powell. In a joint statement, U.S. Representatives Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) and Susie Lee (D-Nev.) said they were 'alerted by Arizona and Nevada water managers that the public land to be sold in Utah could be used to develop' the controversial water pipeline from Lake Powell to Washington County, Utah. The office of Utah Republican Rep. Celeste Maloy – who proposed the amendment – denied the allegation, as did the Washington County Water Conservancy District, which pointed to a detailed list of intended uses for the proposed land disposal, including water projects, public infrastructure, housing, recreation and an airport expansion. That reasoning doesn't fly with some of the state's public land and environmental advocates, including Kyle Roerink, executive director of the Great Basin Water Network. 'There are quite a few striking similarities,' Roerink said. 'We believe that this is much more than a coincidence.' The project has yet to clear several federal hurdles, and needs a new environmental impact statement — officials in the area say the project is no longer a priority. Roerink noted that Utah officials have also not ruled out the Lake Powell Pipeline and have continued to pursue the paper water rights that the pipeline would feed. 'This throws an even bigger wrench in a situation that is already rife with conflict, and it underscores that some states continue to believe that water exists, when in reality, we all know it doesn't,' Roerink said.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Nevada snowpack improves, but deficits persist
Hole in Mountain SNOTEL, East Humboldt Mountains, Clover Valley Basin, February 27, 2025 (Photo Credit: Logan Jamison, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service) A string of storms in California and Nevada brought some moisture back to the West this winter, improving snowpack in the region, but not enough to erase deficits in the state. Snowpack is a crucial source of water for Nevada and the West. As snowpack melts, it recharges ecosystems and replenishes reservoirs that provide drinking water for millions of people and irrigation water for millions of acres of farmland. Most of Nevada's water supply starts as snowpack that accumulates in high elevations during the winter before melting in the spring, meaning substandard snowpack can leave the state with a weak water supply outlook. Nevada has seen above normal snowpack the last couple of winters, but this year researchers are seeing a wide range of conditions that could negatively impact Nevada's water supply this summer — including well below normal snowpack in eastern and southern Nevada, as of March. Last month, snowpack in the state fell well below normal for that time of year, following disappointing snowfall and persistently warm temperatures. Those conditions greatly improved this month, after a flurry of late-February storms helped push snowpack in Nevada and the Eastern Sierra to about normal at 94% of historical median. Still, that snowpack improvement has not been distributed evenly, according to the Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service. Snowpack across the Sierra Nevada mountains and the Upper Colorado Basin — two major water sources for Reno and Las Vegas, respectively — have remained below normal for this time of year, according to the agency's Nevada Water Supply Outlook. There is still time for conditions in Nevada to improve, say federal water managers. The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center's outlooks favor a likely colder and wetter pattern over the next month in the West, which could be favorable for snow accumulation and help improve conditions for the state. 'Weather forecasts look promising for additional storms through the middle of March. Hopefully the storm track benefits the entire state, especially eastern and southern Nevada where drought conditions have worsened in recent months,' reads the report. Snowpack in the Upper Colorado Basin — the largest source of water for Lake Mead — improved slightly since last month, but remains below normal for this time of year. The Upper Colorado Basin's snowpack is at 88% of the historical median, up 3 points from last month. Precipitation in the region was also about normal in February. However, several basins in the Upper Colorado River have recorded low snowpack that could impact water supply to Lake Powell and Lake Mead if they do not improve. Lake Powell's water levels directly affect Lake Mead because water from Lake Powell is eventually released to Lake Mead. Based on historic data there is less than a 10% chance the Upper Colorado will reach a normal peak snowpack by early April. Reservoir storage in Lake Mead and Lake Powell is also at just 36% of capacity. The Spring Mountains in Southern Nevada — the biggest source of groundwater for the region — finally got the first significant snowstorm on Valentine's Day. Snowpack for the mountains reached 55% of the historical median in March, but it is becoming 'very unlikely' the mountains will reach normal snowpack by April, according to the report. As of March, extreme drought has also persisted in a majority of Clark, Lincoln, and Nye counties. Snowpack in several basins that supply water for the Reno-Sparks area — including the Walker River Basin, Carson River Basin, and Lake Tahoe Basin — have also remained below normal despite recent February storms. Fortunately, robust reservoir storage in the region is expected to supplement water supply this summer, according to the report. Lake Tahoe is currently storing enough water to meet demands on the Truckee River, hitting 73% capacity in March. Water levels at Lake Tahoe are also projected to rise about another foot during snowmelt this spring and summer. Moderate drought conditions extended into parts of Washoe, Lyon, Churchill, and Storey counties in March. Other basins in northern Nevada greatly benefited from February storms, which significantly boosted snowpack and precipitation in regions along the Oregon-Nevada border. February storms pushed snowpack in the Northern Great Basin — and the Humboldt, Owyhee, Snake and Clover Valley basins — above historical medians. Hydrologists also said they expect incoming storms forecasted in March to push snowpack in those basins above their normal peak snow amounts by April. Snowpack in Eastern Nevada — which covers the majority of White Pine County and part of Eureka County — has also failed to improve despite February storms. Snowpack in Eastern Nevada is well below normal at 55% of median, compared to 115% at this time last year. While February storms brought drought improvements to western Nevada, in eastern Nevada where dry conditions persisted in February severe drought expanded into White Pine and Eureka counties. Three of the four main snow accumulation months are over making it 'very unlikely' that eastern Nevada will reach normal snowpack by April, said hydrologists in the Nevada Water Supply Outlook.
