A lack of snowpack

While you may be enjoying the spring weather, farmers, fishermen and others are hoping for more snow - at least in the mountains where it will be stored until it melts and flows into streams and rivers.

Because the winter that got off to a good start has been slowing down ever since.

"Right now, those sunny blue skies are working against us," said Ron Abromovich of the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, which recently issued a water-level forecast.

February's storms failed to deliver, dropping only 1.5 to 5 inches of snow in eastern Idaho. That leaves the upper Snake River Basin another 5 percent below average than it was a month ago for snowpack levels, at 89 percent, and predicted stream flow, at 93 percent.

It isn't as bad when you look at the snow's water content, which was at 90 percent of average Tuesday.

"The water content in the snow is more important than the depth," said Philip Morrisey, who also works for the Conservation Service. "I think it's still hanging in there, although March is kind of fizzling out."

Unless more snow falls in the upper Snake River basin, the river's stream flow in the summer will be 89 percent of average at Heise, the report says.

Although it's better than the past three years, being below average won't help the region recover from the drought.

"We're just going to get by this year. We still have to recover," Abromovich said. "We'll use up all the reservoir water again."

Irrigators will be happy to get almost all of the water they're entitled to, said Dick Larsen, spokesman for the Idaho Department of Water Resources, but it's not good for next year.

"We're going to be right where we were last year, with none left over," Larsen said. "We're essentially living hand-to-mouth."

Fishermen are hoping for a better year than last year, when some streams went dry and lakes were low and warm.

"Even if we got average, it would certainly improve the situation as compared to last year," said Jim Gabettas, owner of Jimmy's All Season Angler. "Low flows hurt fishermen and farmers, everybody."

The Conservation Service's most recent report shows that conditions vary across the state. Idaho's deepest snowpacks are in the southwestern part of the state, in the Bruneau and Owyhee basins, which are at 123 percent and 155 percent of average. The lowest snowpack is the Bear River, which is at about 85 percent of average.

"Long-term dryness will remain across central, southern and eastern Idaho until several wet years occur that get moisture back into the ground, springs, seeps, wetlands and aquifers," the report said.

Energy and Environment reporter Kathleen O'Neil can be reached at 542-6763, or via e-mail at koneil@postregister.com.

Snow water table since 1995

Average snow-water content in inches from 18 sites on the Snake River above Heise.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Because snow is full of air, the snow survey measures its water content instead of its depth to find out how much water it will release when it melts.

1995 17.9

1996 25.7

1997 30.3

1998 17.3

1999 24.1

2000 17.5

2001 11.8

2002 14.8

2003 16.3

2004 18.4

average 19.4