UPPER MISSOURI BASIN
OF THE FOUR MAJOR IRRIGATION RESERVOIRS IN MONTANA: LIMA RESERVOIR
HAD 87 PERCENT AVERAGE STORAGE, CLARK CANYON WAS HOLDING 61 PERCENT OF
AVERAGE WATER, GIBSON RESERVOIR HAD 82 PERCENT OF AVERAGE STORED
WATER, AND FRESNO RESERVOIR HAD 103 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; 85 AND 64 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 81 PERCENT
OF AVERAGE RUNOFF IN OCTOBER.
YELLOWSTONE BASIN
PRECIPITATION DURING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER WAS ABOUT 143 PERCENT OF
AVERAGE IN THE WIND RIVER BASIN ABOVE BOYSEN RESERVOIR, 94 PERCENT
OF AVERAGE IN THE UPPER YELLOWSTONE BASIN, 133 PERCENT OF AVERAGE
IN THE BIGHORN BASIN, AND 130 PERCENT OF AVERAGE IN THE LITTLE
BIGHORN BASINS-UPPER TONGUE BASINS, 118 PERCENT OF AVERAGE IN THE
POWDER RIVER BASIN, AND 165 PERCENT OF AVERAGE IN THE LOWER
YELLOWSTONE BASIN.
MONTHEND STORAGE WAS 103 PERCENT OF AVERAGE AT BIGHORN RESERVOIR ON THE
WYOMING/MONTANA BORDER.
RUNOFF DURING OCTOBER IN THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER WAS 90 PERCENT
OF THE 1971 TO 2000 AVERAGE AT CORWIN SPRINGS, MONTANA AND 94
PERCENT OF THAT AVERAGE AT BILLINGS, MONTANA.
PLATTE BASIN
PRECIPITATION DURING OCTOBER IN THE PLATTE BASIN WAS BELOW
AVERAGE TO AVERAGE. OCTOBER PRECIPITATION IN THE NORTH PLATTE BASIN
ABOVE SEMINOE RESERVOIR WAS 64 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. IN THE
NORTH PLATTE BASIN BETWEEN SEMINOE RESERVOIR AND GUERNSY
RESERVOIR PRECIPITATION WAS 88 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. THE NORTH
PLATTE BASIN BELOW GUERNSY RESERVOIR HAD 73 PERCENT OF AVERAGE
PRECIPITATION. THE HIGH ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTH PLATTE BASIN HAD
80 PERCENT OF AVERAGE OCTOBER PRECIPITATION WHEREAS THE PLAINS
HAD 88 PERCENT OF AVERAGE PRECIPITATION.
STORED WATER IN THE SOUTH PLATTE BASIN STORED WATER WAS 94 PERCENT
OF AVERAGE.
