Irrigators worry as West's reservoirs run low
Availability far below average in some areas of West
Mateusz
Perkowski, Capital Press
9/21/2007
Irrigation
reservoirs in parts of Oregon and Idaho have been largely
depleted this growing season, limiting water availability to
many irrigators now and placing them in a vulnerable position
for the future.
"It really sets the stage for a lot of reservoirs being really
low across the state," said Jon Lea, Oregon snow survey
supervisor at the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
"We'll definitely need some good rainfalls or snow packs to
even get us close to normal for next year," he said.
Oregon
In Oregon, the Burnt, Powder, Pine, Grande Ronde and Imnaha
basins have been hit the hardest: the five reservoirs in that
region are at 7 percent of capacity, or about 15 percent of
average, according to the USDA NRCS.
The Owyhee and Malheur basins aren't faring well either,
filled to 21 percent of capacity, or 41 of average.
A few reservoirs within those regions - Warmsprings, Thief
Valley and Wallowa Lake - have no water available for
irrigation: zero percent of capacity, zero percent of average.
Others are also expected to be "fully utilized" by the end of
season, Lea said.
"The reservoirs have been used pretty heavily, and some of
them have run out of water," he said.
Across the rest of Oregon, the situation is mixed. Some
reservoirs have above average water levels, while others in
the same basin are largely drained.
In the Willamette Basin, for example, reservoir levels range
from 100 percent of average to 25 percent of average.
The variation is even greater in the Rogue and Umpqua basins:
between 141 percent of average and 25 percent of average.
Overall, these basin groups, as well as the Klamath Basin,
come in at above 50 percent of average.
The Upper Deschutes and Crooked basins are seeing the best
reservoir levels in the state, with 90 percent of average. The
Umatilla, Walla Walla, Willow, Rock and Lower John Day basins
are at 74 percent of average, while the Lake County and Goose
Lake basins are at 77 percent of average.
Idaho
In Idaho, the Wood and Lost River basins were the most
exhausted, filled to 7 percent of capacity, or 19 percent of
average.
Reservoirs in the Snake River Basin were also parched. The two
reservoirs in the mainstem Snake River Basin are filled to 33
percent of capacity, or 47 of average. The upper Snake River
Basin, with eight reservoirs, is filled to 23 percent of
capacity, or 39 percent of average.
The Bear River Basin's water levels are also insufficient,
with its two reservoirs at 29 percent of capacity, or 41
percent of average.
In general, the southern and central portions of the state
bore the worst of the water shortage this year, said Phil
Morrisey, an NRCS hydrologist in Idaho.
"When the reservoirs become drawn down so far, (irrigators)
become completely dependent on snow pack and runoff. It's a
precarious position to be in," he said.
Idaho's reservoirs saw increased demand from irrigators this
year due to a lack of rainfall and a change in cropping
systems brought about by increased ethanol production and
higher corn prices, Morrisey said.
"We've heard there's been more corn being grown," he said.
"Corn is a very heavy water-use crop."
Not all of Idaho is feeling dehydrated, though. With its five
reservoirs filled to 92 percent of capacity, or 99 percent of
average, the northern Pan Handle has been the least affected.
"They don't see the big irrigation demand we see in southern
Idaho," said Morrisey.
The Clearwater River basin and Payette River basins, are both
above 80 percent of average, and other basins are at roughly
70 percent of average or above.
California
Reservoir levels in California are uneven as well.
For example, the Pyramid Lake reservoir in southern California
filled to 89 percent capacity, or 111 percent of average,
according to the California Department of Water Resources.
The Pine Flat and San Luis reservoirs in the center of the
state are in much worse shape: roughly 20 percent of capacity,
or 50 percent of average.
All the other key reservoirs in the state fall between these
two extremes, according to the California Department of Water
Resources. Unlike USDA NRCS, the department publishes figures
for major reservoirs rather than basins.
Washington
Since the beginning of the year, Washington has enjoyed better
snow packs, stream flows and reservoir levels than the rest of
the West, and that trend has continued through the growing
season.
Virtually every basin area is above roughly 90 percent of
average in stored capacity, and several - the Spokane River,
Lower Yakima River and north Puget Sound River basins - are
above 100 percent of average.
"The water supply in Washington is in really good shape," said
Scott Pattee, Washington water supply specialist for USDA NRCS.
Heavy rain in November 2006 contributed to the state's
comparatively satiated reservoirs, with runoff filling
reservoirs before the snow pack even had a chance to
accumulate, he said.
When the snow pack did melt the following spring, "it really
just topped them off," he said.
Demand from irrigators was also lighter than expected, Pattee
said. "We didn't have these extreme temperatures, so I think
water consumption was down from normal."
Staff writer Mateusz Perkowski is based in Salem, Ore. E-mail:
mperkowski@capitalpress.com. |
