MILLS, Wyo. - The Bureau of Reclamation has prepared the June snowmelt runoff forecasts and operating plans for the North Platte River Basin.
The June forecasts indicate the spring snowmelt runoff will be above average. Total April through July runoff in the North Platte River Basin above Glendo Dam is expected to be 1,307,000 acre-feet (af), which is 149% of the 30-year average. Approximately 783,000 af of runoff was received in April and May.
The total conservation storage capacity of the North Platte Reservoir System is approximately 2,815,800 af. As of May 31, 2023, the combined storage content in the North Platte Reservoirs was 1,938,800 af, which is 97% of the 30-year average.
Based on current projections for the months of June, and July, the releases out of Seminoe Reservoir are expected to continue at around 2,800 cfs, while flows out of Gray Reef are expected to be in the range of approximately 1,200 to 3,000 cfs. Releases from Guernsey will be in the 250 to 4,800 cfs range. Pathfinder Reservoir is not expected to spill this spring. Based on our current forecast, an allocation is not expected for our North Platte Project contractors.
Reclamation’s Wyoming Area Office operates seven reservoirs on the North Platte River with Seminoe Reservoir farthest upstream and Guernsey Reservoir farthest downstream. This system provides irrigation supply to hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland and produces power generation from 6 powerplants which supply power to tens of thousands of homes.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation