June Water Report for Idaho

David Sparks Ph.D.

 Moderate spring temperatures and timely precipitation is turning the 2009 runoff season into a moderate water supply year according to the June Water Supply Outlook Report released by the Idaho Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Officials say that average precipitation for the water year is good for the forests and rangelands, but the timing and intensity of spring rain can affect snowmelt runoff and irrigation demand for Idaho's water users. Spring rain, and hot temperatures, can cause untimely melting of the snow and that’s what many parts of Idaho have experienced this year. June 1 snow levels are near average in the Clearwater basin and the snow is melted in the southern Idaho basins, except in the highest elevations.In general, most reservoirs should fill except for those in southern and central Idaho. This could make irrigation water supplies tight for users in these basins. 

Julie Koeberle spokesperson for the NRCS: “ Especially in March and this last month in May was well above average, above 130% of average so that really helped supplement the lower snowpack and helped fill those reservoirs up and that’s where water for the Payette water users and Boise water users, they depend on the Boise Reservoir system and the Payette depends on the Cascade and Deadwood system.”