UPPER MISSOURI BASIN
October precipitation across the Upper Missouri Basin was near to above average.
Basin precipitation summaries for the Missouri Basin include: Milk St. Mary,
139 percent; Milk Canada, 96 percent; Lower Milk, 99 percent; above Toston,
116 percent; Toston to Ft. Peck, 93 percent.
Of the four major irrigation reservoirs in Montana; Lima
Reservoir had 182 percent average storage, Clark Canyon was
holding 137 percent of average water, Gibson Reservoir had 58
percent of average stored water, and Fresno Reservoir had
100 percent of average stored water.
The major hydroelectric reservoirs in Montana (Canyon Ferry and
Fort Peck), had monthend storage in the average to above
average range; 101 and 121 percent of average water, respectively.
YELLOWSTONE BASIN
Precipitation during October was near to below average. The upper Yellowstone River Basin received 94 percent of average precipitation while the Lower Yellowstone River Basin reported 67 percent of average. The Bighorn Basin received 53 percent of average precipitation while the Wind River Basin received 78 percent of average. The Little Bighorn - Upper Tongue Basin received 98 percent of average and the Powder River had 94 percent of average precipitation.
Monthend storage at Boysen Reservoir was 110 percent of average. Stored water in Buffalo Bill Reservoir was 131 percent of average. Monthend storage was 100 percent of average at Bighorn Reservoir.
PLATTE BASIN
Precipitation during October in the Upper North Platte Basin was 115 percent of average. In the Lower North Platte Basin, precipitation was 84 percent of average. The North Platte Plains below Guernsey Reservoir had 65 percent. The South Platte Mountains had 131 percent whereas the Plains had 89 percent of average October precipitation.
Stored water in the South Platte Basin was 100 percent of average on November 1.
