Earlier this year, it appeared that we were going to have considerably less storage water than last year, but due to the continuing lower temperatures and wet weather patterns, the reservoirs are continuing to rise. As of today, the water supply is aligning more closely to what we had at this time last year. We currently have approximately 35 days of water in storage. The current reservoir elevations are as follows:
Howard Prairie 9,841 acre feet or 16% of capacity
Hyatt Lake 3,330 acre feet or 21% of capacity
Emigrant Lake 9,789 acre feet or 25% of capacity
According to Oregon State University’s Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center in Central Point, soil moistures are approximately 7 to 15 days ahead (‘wetter’) than what it was this time in 2021. In addition, we have received 3.1 inches more precipitation in April and May of this year than we did in 2021.
The district does not anticipate starting water deliveries until sometime in June, depending on what happens with the weather patterns and temperatures. If the weather changes drastically before the board meeting on June 7th, the Board of Directors will address the issue sooner and the website will be promptly updated with any changes.