PROJECT ALERT NOTICE (WY) Weekly Drought Update August 30 2012

Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2012 23:29:24 EDT

Summary: Wyoming currently is experiencing extreme drought conditions over 37 percent of the State, an increase of more than 13 percent from last week.

The U.S. Drought Monitor for August 28 categorized all of Wyoming as experiencing moderate or worse drought intensity, an increase of more than two percent from last week. About 37 percent of the State comprising parts of the Cheyenne, North Platte, and Green River basins is in extreme drought conditions.

Daily mean streamflows at 36 of 74 streamgages with 30 or more years of data are below normal, an increase of one percent from last week. Daily mean streamflows at two 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 continue to result in new record high streamflows at one streamgage.

USGS personnel measured streamflow at 11 streamgages in the last week to verify the lower end of stage-discharge ratings and document shifted ratings.



Sub-Region: Mountain West; Region: