National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Missouri Basin River Forecast Center
Water Supply Statement
Issued in cooperation with the Natural
Resources Conservation Service
Issued:  October 15, 2008

 

UPPER MISSOURI BASIN
SEPTEMBER PRECIPITATION RANGED FROM BELOW AVERAGE TO ABOVE AVERAGE ACROSS
THE UPPER MISSOURI BASIN. BASIN PRECIPITATION SUMMARIES FOR THE MISSOURI
BASIN INCLUDE: MILK ST. MARY, 98 PERCENT; MILK CANADA, 144 PERCENT;
LOWER MILK, 148 PERCENT; ABOVE TOSTON, 68 PERCENT; TOSTON TO FT. PECK,
118 PERCENT.
 

OF THE FOUR MAJOR IRRIGATION RESERVOIRS IN MONTANA: LIMA RESERVOIR
HAD 79 PERCENT AVERAGE STORAGE, CLARK CANYON WAS HOLDING 55 PERCENT OF
AVERAGE WATER, GIBSON RESERVOIR HAD 72 PERCENT OF AVERAGE STORED
WATER, AND FRESNO RESERVOIR HAD 110 PERCENT OF AVERAGE STORED WATER.
THE MAJOR HYDROELECTRIC RESERVOIRS IN MONTANA (CANYON FERRY AND
FORT PECK) HAD MONTHEND STORAGE IN THE AVERAGE TO BELOW AVERAGE
RANGE; 105 AND 67 PERCENT OF AVERAGE WATER, RESPECTIVELY.

AS INDICATED BY THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL LONG TERM GAGING STATIONS,
THE MARIAS RIVER NEAR SHELBY, MONTANA HAD AN ESTIMATED 88 PERCENT
OF AVERAGE RUNOFF IN SEPTEMBER. 

 

YELLOWSTONE BASIN

PRECIPITATION DURING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER WAS ABOUT 89 PERCENT OF
AVERAGE IN THE WIND RIVER BASIN ABOVE BOYSEN RESERVOIR, 121 PERCENT
OF AVERAGE IN THE UPPER YELLOWSTONE BASIN, 129 PERCENT OF AVERAGE
IN THE BIGHORN BASIN, AND 125 PERCENT OF AVERAGE IN THE LITTLE
BIGHORN BASINS-UPPER TONGUE BASINS, 113 PERCENT OF AVERAGE IN THE
POWDER RIVER BASIN, AND 118 PERCENT OF AVERAGE IN THE LOWER
YELLOWSTONE BASIN.

MONTH END STORAGE WAS 106 PERCENT OF AVERAGE AT BIGHORN RESERVOIR ON THE
WYOMING/MONTANA BORDER.

RUNOFF DURING SEPTEMBER IN THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER WAS 115 PERCENT
OF THE 1971 TO 2000 AVERAGE AT CORWIN SPRINGS, MONTANA AND 101
PERCENT OF THAT AVERAGE AT BILLINGS, MONTANA.

 

PLATTE BASIN

PRECIPITATION DURING SEPTEMBER IN THE PLATTE BASIN WAS ABOVE
AVERAGE. SEPTEMBER PRECIPITATION IN THE NORTH PLATTE BASIN
ABOVE SEMINOE RESERVOIR WAS 136 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. IN THE
NORTH PLATTE BASIN BETWEEN SEMINOE RESERVOIR AND GUERNSY
RESERVOIR PRECIPITATION WAS 107 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. THE NORTH
PLATTE BASIN BELOW GUERNSY RESERVOIR HAD 106 PERCENT OF AVERAGE
PRECIPITATION. THE HIGH ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTH PLATTE BASIN HAD
116 PERCENT OF AVERAGE AUGUST PRECIPITATION WHEREAS THE PLAINS
HAD 96 PERCENT OF AVERAGE PRECIPITATION.

STORED WATER IN THE SOUTH PLATTE BASIN STORED WATER WAS 97 PERCENT
OF AVERAGE.

 

PRECIPITATION MAPS
September 2008  WY 2008
September 2008 Precipitation Percent of 1971-2000 Average WY2008 Precipitation as Percent of 1971-2000 Average
September 2008 Basin Mean Precipitation          WY2008 Basin Mean Precipitation
September 2008 MBRFC Basin Mean Precipitation      WY2008 MBRFC Basin Mean Precipitation