11/01/06 Timely October rains

The rains fell in October in most of Idaho. Ron Abromovich of the NRCS Snow Survey says that moisture should keep the ground wet and that will aid the runoff next spring. Most basins had above normal rainfall last month. ABROMOVICH "The Big Wood basin received 126 percent of average precip, Little Wood 161, the Big Lost basin is 118 percent, Little Lost and Birch basins 166, Henry's Fork and Teton are 146, and then the upper Snake basin in Wyoming mostly is 124 percent of average. Willow, Blackfoot, Portnuef are 122 percent, and Oakley basin has received the most in the state so far. They're more than twice normal in October at 208 percent of average. Salmon Falls 169, Bruneau 148 and the Bear River basin is 117 percent of average." However, southwestern and north Idaho didn't get the same October rains. The Weiser basin precipitation was a dismal 30 percent; the Payette was 51 percent, Boise 74 percent, the Owyhee basin 58 percent while the Panhandle and Clearwater basins were at 65 percent of the normal amount. There appears to be enough carryover water in southern reservoirs to get irrigators through next summer even if we have below normal rain and snow this coming winter. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott