Low snow means dry year

It's shaping up to be a dry year in Central Oregon.

With precipitation at 56 percent of normal in the Deschutes River Basin and snowpack at 66 percent of normal, folks in the region are looking at shallower lakes and trickling streams come summertime.

According to Deschutes County Watermaster Kyle Gorman, "the abundant water we've seen over the past four years, we won't be seeing. It hasn't been this dry since 1994."

Squaw Creek's flows should be at their minimum by June this year, Gorman predicted. Reservoirs will be noticeably lower. Municipal water supplies shouldn't be affected, Gorman said. The well-filling aquifer that runs under the region is strong.

Gorman noted that, since it's still January, there's still the potential for heavy snows.

However, the watermaster said, "It's going to take a lot of snow to make up that ground, to get to normal."

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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