Yonts Water Conference delivers low irrigation outlook

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBOR) provided estimates for the snowpack/runoff for the North Platte River Basin. The 2026 forecasted runoff/inflow for the North Platte Project (Pathfinder and Guernsey) is approximately 550,000 acre-feet. This number includes water ownership/carryover of 340,000 acre-feet in both reservoirs. The 550,000 acre-feet of water is split between the Pathfinder Irrigation District, Goshen Irrigation District, and the Gering-Fort Laramie Irrigation District. The amounts each district will receive will depend on the final estimated forecasts from the USBOR and on each district’s carryover amounts. Other irrigation districts in the North Platte River valley may have some storage water carryover at Glendo and rely on natural-flow water rights. The average runoff/inflow is around 891,000 acre-feet. The snowpack/runoff started approximately 30 days earlier than normal, with a snow water equivalent approximately 9-10 inches less than normal. The North Platte ...