PROJECT ALERT NOTICE (WY) Weekly Drought Report --Wyoming

Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2012 00:43:07 EDT

Summary: About 95 percent of Wyoming currently is experiencing moderate or worse drought conditions, an increase of more than seven percent from last week.

The U.S. Drought Monitor for August 21 categorized about 95 percent of Wyoming as experiencing moderate or worse drought intensity, an increase of more than seven percent from last week. About 24 percent of the State comprising parts of the Cheyenne and Green River basins is in extreme drought conditions. Yellowstone National Park is the only part of Wyoming currently not classified under some level of drought.

Daily mean streamflows at 36 of 76 (47 percent) streamgages with 30 or more years of data are below normal, an increase of two percent from last week. Daily mean streamflows at three streamgages in the North Platte basin are above normal as water is released from reservoirs to meet irrigation demands. In the Wind River basin, reservoir releases for irrigation are resulting in new record high streamflows at one streamgage.

USGS personnel continue to measure streamflow at these streamgages to verify the lower end of stage-discharge ratings and document shifted ratings resulting from channel fill and aquatic growth.

Sub-Region: Mountain West; Region: