Northern Nevada has been getting a lot of water after the endless snowstorms throughout the winter. Truckee Meadows Water Authority held their annual state of the water presentation today. It's been a long and stressful winter for us this year but in the end, they say it was all worth it.
According to the Truckee Meadows authority, it has enough water that can last us the next two to three years regardless of what our next winters will look like.
Bill Hauck, Water Supply Supervisor, says, "We've had tremendous snowpack at the end of February, and that was followed by record precipitation in the month of March. April 1st snowpack measurements were at an all-time high. Record amounts of water in the snowpack measured on April 1 in the Truckee River Basin actually set an all-time record."
Hauck says that many records were broken all throughout the Sierra Nevadas. Some records dating back 80 to 100+ years. Lake Tahoe Basin set an all-time record for snowpack this year that reached 242% above normal. The streamflow runoff this spring went 250% above normal. Upstream reservoirs are expected to completely fill and Lake Tahoe almost full. According to the drought monitor we are considered to no longer be in a drought situation as of April 15th. Although we have plenty of water to continue normal water supply operations, the Truckee River Operating Agreement stills asks people to continue standard conservations protocols.
Hauck says, "So we're asking customers to once again follow their assigned day of watering schedule. For odd addresses water on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. For even addresses water on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays. No watering on Mondays, and no watering between noon and 6PM."
Hauck says that people use four times the amount of water in summer compared to winter, so make sure to use only the water you need and avoid landscape run-off.
