04/11/05  Fewer record low streamflows

04/11/05 Fewer record low streamflows

Washington Ag April 11, 2005 Despite recent storms the Natural Resources Conservation Service says the state's snowpack as of April 1st is below that of even 1977 at only 31 percent of average. NRCS water supply specialist Scott Pattee says 10 of 13 basins in the state have record low snowpacks with the lowest being the Newman Lake Basin at only seven percent of average with the Kettle River Basin reporting the highest at 76 percent. Low snowpack translates into reduced runoff and stream flows. Pattee says this month only a handful of rivers are forecast to have record low flows this summer whereas a month ago more streams were forecast to have record low flows than not. But many are at their second or third lowest flows ever. So; Pattee: "It is still going to be a bad season the way things are shaping up." Because after the first of April Pattee says there is virtually no chance of adding significantly to the snowpack bank account. If that's it for this year, what about the future? Pattee: "You know we are going to need pretty healthy years for the next couple of years to get back to normal I believe." I'm Bob Hoff.
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