Water flows through the V-line canal, affirming the Carson River watershed is in good shape for the 2025 growing season.
Photo by Steve Ranson.
While the snow totals in the Sierra Nevada don’t match the measurements from the past two years, the latest Nevada Water Supply Outlook indicates Northern Nevada and the Carson River watershed remain in good shape, according to the latest measurements.
The April SNOTELS (snow telemetry) readings in the basins show 94-103% in the Sierra Basins and upward to 155% of normal across Northern Nevada, reports the Natural Resource Conservation Service. SNOTEL sites are located in areas that usually have reliable snow readings during the mid-winter.
“In the Carson Basin winter streamflow doesn’t align with the irrigation season in the Carson Valley which started April 15,” said Jeff Anderson, a hydrologist and water survey specialist with the NRCS. “Before the irrigation season, the river flows without diversion to Lahontan Reservoir to the benefit of irrigators downstream in Fallon who will utilize the stored water later in the season.”
The reservoir has been holding steady at 201,000 acre-feet of water, less that the 279,000 acre-feet one year ago. One acre-foot equals about 326,000 gallons, or enough water to cover an acre of land. Lahontan Reservoir holds 308,000 acre-feet. The median storage of the reservoir at this time is 198,000 acre-feet
Anderson’s report presented good news to the area’s water users. Water year precipitation is between 96-131% in the northern tier of the Silver State.
“March brought above normal precipitation to nearly all basins,” Anderson said, adding soils are approaching “typical springtime snowmelt saturation levels.”
Anderson, though, said his previous reports have highlighted how this year’s storms have been on the warmer side which has resulted in fewer snow-covered areas.
“The impact of this smaller snow-covered area across the state will impact this year’s runoff compared to last year,” Anderson said. “At first glance April 1 snow packs for 2024 and 2025 may appear similar with the Sierra near normal both years and Northern Nevada above normal, but the disparity in snow-covered area may lead to a different timing and overall magnitude of streamflow this season.”
The water year-to-date readings show good news for western Nevada. The Carson River is at 96% of normal, while the Walker River is at 98%. The biggest gains show both Lake Tahoe and Truckee at 104% and 105% or normal, respectively.
River flows are near normal for this time of season. The Carson River is running at 389 cubic feet per second at Fort Churchill and 437 cfs at Carson City. Cubic feet per second is the flow rate or discharge equal to one cubic foot of water per second. The measurements at Ft. Churchill are considerably less than the above-normal water year in 2023 at 1,340 cfs and the record water-year of 2017 at 1,690 cfs.
Anderson said the winter streamflow affected by rain or early season snowmelt can be, what he considers, one person’s loss but another’s gain.
The above normal precipitation in March has reduced drought severity on the U.S. Drought Monitor Map in Elko, Churchill, Lander and Eureka counties in March. Those counties are currently at abnormally dry to moderate drought while the southern part of the state reports areas is bordering at extreme to exceptional drought.