Upper Bear River Basin (13)
May 2000

Snow
Snow water equivalent (SWE), at snow courses in the Bear River above the Idaho State line, is 56 percent of average (46 percent of last year). SWE for the Bear River in Utah is estimated to be 59 percent of average; that is about 47 percent of last year at this time. SWE in the Wyoming portion of the Bear River drainage (Smiths and Thomas Forks) is estimated at 62 percent of average (51 percent of last year at this time.). See the Basin Summary of Snow Course Data at the beginning of this report for more detailed information.

Precipitation
Precipitation for the month of April was 74 percent of average for the 2 reporting stations; this is 45 percent of the previous April. The monthly percentages range from 61 to 75 percent of average. The year-to-date precipitation, for the basin, is 78 percent of average; this is 72 percent of last year's amount.

Reservoir
Woodruff Narrows reservoir is currently storing 57,300 acre feet of water. Current storage is 100 percent of the 57,300 acre feet capacity. Last year the reservoir was storing 57,300 acre feet (100 percent of last year at this time).

Streamflow
The following 50 percent chance stream flow yields are for the May through September period. Smiths Fork near Border is estimated to yield 66,000 acre-feet (61 percent of normal), and Thomas Fork drainage near the Idaho- Wyoming state line is estimated to yield 16,000 acre-feet or 53 percent of normal. Bear River near the Utah-Wyoming State Line is expected to yield about 77,000 acre feet; that is 64 percent of average, while Bear River near Woodruff is expected to yield about 81,000 acre-feet, about 62 percent of normal. 

==================================================================================================================================
                                                      UPPER BEAR RIVER BASIN
                                               Streamflow Forecasts - May 1, 2000
==================================================================================================================================
                                              |  <<====== Drier ======  Future Conditions  =======  Wetter =====>>  |             
                                              |                                                                     |
  Forecast Point                     Forecast |  ==================== Chance Of Exceeding * ======================  |
                                      Period  |    90%       70%    |  50% (Most Probable)  |      30%       10%    |  30-Yr Avg.
                                              | (1000AF)  (1000AF)  |   (1000AF)  (% AVG.)  |    (1000AF)  (1000AF) |    (1000AF)
====================================================================|=======================|=====================================
SMITHS FK nr Border, WY              MAY-SEP        52        60    |       66        61    |        73        84            109
                                                                    |                       |
THOMAS FK nr WY-ID State Line (Disc. MAY-SEP      10.2      13.3    |     16.0        53    |      19.2        25             30
                                                                    |                       |
Bear R nr UT-WY State Line           APR-SEP        72        78    |       82        65    |        86        93            126
                                     MAY-SEP        67        73    |       77        64    |        81        88            120
                                                                    |                       |
BEAR R nr Woodruff, UT               APR-SEP        63        82    |       97        63    |       115       149            154
                                     MAY-SEP        51        67    |       81        62    |        98       130            131
                                                                    |                       |
==================================================================================================================================
                         UPPER BEAR RIVER BASIN                         |                 UPPER BEAR RIVER BASIN
             Reservoir Storage (1000 AF) - End of April                 |        Watershed Snowpack Analysis - May 1, 2000
==================================================================================================================================
                                      Usable |  *** Usable Storage ***  |                            Number     This Year as % of
Reservoir                            Capacity|  This      Last          |   Watershed                  of       =================
                                             |  Year      Year     Avg  |                          Data Sites   Last Yr   Average
========================================================================|=========================================================
WOODRUFF NARROWS                        57.3     57.3     57.3      --- |   UPPER BEAR RIVER in Utah    7        47        59
                                                                        |
                                                                        |   SMITHS & THOMAS FORKS       4        51        62
                                                                        |
                                                                        |   BEAR RIVER abv ID line      9        46        56
                                                                        |
                                                                        |   NORTHWEST                  68        51        64
                                                                        |
                                                                        |   NORTHEST                   15        79        76
                                                                        |
                                                                        |   SOUTHEAST                  37        72        75
                                                                        |
                                                                        |   SOUTHWEST                  34        53        62
                                                                        |
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