March 1, 2012 Spring and Summer Streamflow Forecasts
Missouri River Basin Streamflow Forecast Missouri River Basin Mountain Snowpack
Upper Missouri Basin
THE HIGH ELEVATION SNOW PACK IN THE UPPER MISSOURI BASIN AS OF
MARCH 1 WAS NEAR AVERAGE. THE SNOW PACK ABOVE TOSTON,
MONTANA WAS 86 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. THE SNOW PACK BETWEEN TOSTON
AND FORT PECK, MONTANA WAS 107 PERCENT. THE SNOW PACK IN THE
ST MARY AND MILK RIVER BASINS WAS 94 PERCENT.
FEBRUARY PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE UPPER MISSOURI BASIN WAS ABOVE AVERAGE
TO AVERAGE. BASIN PRECIPITATION SUMMARIES FOR THE MISSOURI BASIN
INCLUDE: MILK ST. MARY, 83 PERCENT; MILK CANADA, 112 PERCENT;
LOWER MILK, 146 PERCENT; ABOVE TOSTON, 106 PERCENT; TOSTON TO
FT. PECK, 110 PERCENT.
February 2012 Upper Missouri Mean Precip Oct-Feb WY2012 Upper Missouri Mean Precip
STREAM FLOW IN THE UPPER MISSOURI BASIN IS FORECAST TO BE
NEAR AVERAGE DURING THE UPCOMING SPRING AND SUMMER. THE ST.
MARY RIVER IS FORECAST TO HAVE 98 PERCENT OF AVERAGE APRIL-SEPTEMBER
FLOWS. RUNOFF IS EXPECTED TO RANGE AROUND 84 PERCENT OF AVERAGE
FOR THE MISSOURI BASIN ABOVE FORT PECK, MONTANA. FORECASTS FOR THE
MILK RIVER BASIN CALL FOR AROUND 100 PERCENT OF AVERAGE SPRING SUMMER
RUNOFF.
Upper Missouri March 1, 2012 Spring and Summer Streamflow Forecasts
OF THE FOUR MAJOR IRRIGATION RESERVOIRS IN MONTANA: LIMA RESERVOIR
HAD 140 PERCENT AVERAGE STORAGE, CLARK CANYON WAS HOLDING 112 PERCENT OF
AVERAGE WATER, GIBSON RESERVOIR HAD 37 PERCENT OF AVERAGE STORED
WATER, AND FRESNO RESERVOIR HAD 117 PERCENT OF AVERAGE STORED WATER.
THE MAJOR HYDROELECTRIC RESERVOIRS IN MONTANA (CANYON FERRY AND
FORT PECK) HAD MONTHEND STORAGE IN THE AVERAGE TO BELOW AVERAGE
RANGE; 105 AND 102 PERCENT OF AVERAGE WATER, RESPECTIVELY.
Yellowstone Basin
THE HIGH ELEVATION SNOW PACK IN THE YELLOWSTONE BASIN WAS AVERAGE
ON MARCH 1. THE SNOW PACK IN THE UPPER YELLOWSTONE BASIN WAS
97 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. THE SNOW PACKS IN THE WIND, BIGHORN, AND
SHOSHONE BASINS WERE 97, 105, AND 98 PERCENT OF AVERAGE,
RESPECTIVELY. THE SNOW PACKS IN THE TONGUE AND POWDER BASINS WERE
136 AND 132 PERCENT OF AVERAGE, RESPECTIVELY.
PRECIPITATION DURING FEBRUARY WAS ABOVE AVERAGE. THE UPPER
YELLOWSTONE RIVER BASIN RECEIVED 101 PERCENT OF AVERAGE PRECIPITATION
WHILE THE LOWER YELLOWSTONE BASIN REPORTED 131 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
THE BIGHORN BASIN RECEIVED 190 PERCENT OF AVERAGE PRECIPITATION
WHILE THE WIND RIVER BASIN RECEIVED 178 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
THE LITTLE BIGHORN - UPPER TONGUE BASIN RECEIVED 176 PERCENT OF
AVERAGE AND THE POWDER RIVER HAD 189 PERCENT OF AVERAGE PRECIPITATION.
February 2012 Yellowstone Mean Precip Oct-Feb WY2012 Yellowstone Mean Precip
FORECAST STREAM FLOW IN THE YELLOWSTONE BASIN IS TYPICALLY NEAR
AVERAGE RANGE FOR THE UPCOMING SPRING AND SUMMER. RUNOFF AT
BILLINGS, MONTANA IS EXPECTED TO BE 97 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. STREAM
FLOW FOR THE WIND-BIGHORN BASIN ABOVE ST. XAVIER, MONTANA IS
FORECAST TO BE ABOUT 102 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. FLOW IN THE
TONGUE BASIN IS EXPECTED TO BE 124 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. FLOWS IN THE
POWDER RIVER ARE EXPECTED TO BE ABOUT 129 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
MONTHEND STORAGE AT BOYSEN RESERVOIR WAS 102 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
STORED WATER IN BUFFALO BILL RESERVOIR WAS 68 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
MONTH END STORAGE WAS 63 PERCENT OF AVERAGE AT BIGHORN RESERVOIR.
Yellowstone March 1, 2012 Spring and Summer Streamflow Forecasts
Platte Basin
THE HIGH ELEVATION SNOW PACK IN THE UPPER NORTH PLATTE BASIN WAS
82 PERCENT OF AVERAGE ON MARCH 1. THE SNOW PACK IN THE NORTH
PLATTE BASIN BELOW SEMINOE RESERVOIR WAS 105 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
THE SNOW PACK IN THE SOUTH PLATTE BASIN WAS 88 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
FEBRUARY PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE PLATTE BASIN WAS AVERAGE TO
ABOVE AVERAGE. PRECIPITATION DURING FEBRUARY IN THE NORTH PLATTE
BASIN ABOVE SEMINOE RESERVOIR WAS 128 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. IN THE
NORTH PLATTE BASIN BETWEEN SEMINOE RESERVOIR AND GUERNSY RESERVOIR
PRECIPITATION WAS 188 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. THE NORTH PLATTE BASIN
BELOW GUERNSY RESERVOIR HAD 184 PERCENT OF AVERAGE PRECIPITATION.
THE HIGH ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTH PLATTE BASIN HAD 209 PERCENT OF
AVERAGE PRECIPITATION WHEREAS THE PLAINS HAD 247 PERCENT OF AVERAGE
FEBRUARY PRECIPITATION.
February 2012 Platte Mean Precip Oct-Feb WY2012 Platte Mean Precip
STREAM FLOW IN THE PLATTE BASIN IS FORECAST TO RANGE FROM BELOW
AVERAGE TO AVERAGE DURING THE UPCOMING SPRING AND SUMMER.
RUNOFF FOR STREAMS ABOVE SEMINOE RESERVOIR ARE EXPECTED TO BE ABOUT
65 TO 75 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. STREAM FLOWS FOR THE NORTH PLATTE
BELOW SEMINOE RESERVOIR ARE FORECAST TO BE AROUND 85 PERCENT OF
AVERAGE. STREAMS IN THE SOUTH PLATTE BASIN ABOVE SOUTH PLATTE,
COLORADO CAN BE AROUND 75 PERCENT OF AVERAGE FLOW. FOR THE
REMAINDER OF THE SOUTH PLATTE BASIN FLOWS ARE EXPECTED VARY FROM
60 TO 90 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
STORED WATER IN THE SOUTH PLATTE BASIN WAS 105 PERCENT OF AVERAGE
ON MARCH 1. STORED WATER IN THE NORTH PLATTE BASIN WAS 133
PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
North Platte Streamflow Fcst South Platte Streamflow Fcst
