Truckee Meadows Water Authority has released an update on the water supply outlook for the season after our relatively warm winter.
Kara Steeland from Truckee Meadows Water Authority talked about where we stand water-wise, "We are actually slightly above median for precipitation at 106 precent for this time of year. So, a lot of what that means is a lot of our precipitation fell as rain instead of snow, especially in the fall months, and then also at lower elevations during some of the warmer events this winter.
A lot of the ability to retain and release water can be chalked up to an extensive system of reservoirs around the watershed. The whole system of reservoirs currently sits around 85 percent capacity, but conservation is still being encouraged.
"We ask customers to be smart about their water use every year no matter the conditions. We always require assigned day watering to conserve water and keep our system resilient. We also require no watering on Mondays to allow the system to replenish. We ask for no sprinkler irrigation between noon and 6pm to reduce evaporation during the hottest part of the day, and we ask customers to not waste water by ensuring that their lawns and plants are being watered instead of the sidewalk and streets."
It should be also noted that while we are dry, we continue to remain drought free in Reno as of the latest drought monitor.
"We will not need to release any drought reserves this year because there is sufficient storage in Lake Tahoe, meaning that there are normal, what we call normal river flows."
