The Bureau of Reclamation’s latest water supply forecast is raising concerns for Bighorn Lake.
The BOR forecast released this week projects inflows less than half of the 30-year average. The federal agency anticipates if conditions do not improve significantly Bighorn Lake is not expected to fill this year, impacting lake levels and releases to the Bighorn River.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service reports mountain snowpack in the basin above Bighorn Lake is currently 80 % of median but the lower elevations have accumulated little to no meaningful snowpack.
BOR reports drought conditions have intensified as the region experienced drier and warmer-than normal weather since the start of the year.
Just three months ago in January the BOR snowmelt forecast for the Bighorn River Basin was above 100 % of the 30-year average for snowmelt runoff.
