Reservoir Storage Going into the Winter Snow Season

Wyoming will be entering the 2017-2018 snow season with a very healthy carry over water supply in the reservoir systems thanks to last seasons big runoff.  Following is the status of Wyoming reservoirs as of late October showing the percentage of the capacity of each.

With the exception of the southeast, Wyoming Reservoirs are going into the winter snow season with very healthy levels.  It is interesting to note that both Lake Powell and Lake Mead still reflect the long term drought with (60% and 38%) respectively.

However the Snake River Reservoir System which includes much of northwestern Wyoming is holding very high amounts of water.

For Water Year 2018 which we are now beginning as of Oct 1st, the reservoir system is holding nearly 3 times the amount of water as last year at the same time and almost double normal.

Specfically, Palisades Reservoir noted in the figure below, still is over 90%  full. This is 10 times what it was a year

ago and close to double  the amount normally being stored..

It will be interesting to monitor what effects this coming Winter snows  and Spring runoff will have on water levels, particularly in Palisades which is still nearly full.