[6] Water Supply Improves 10 Percent From February

With above-average precipitation continuing throughout much of the Northwest, the water supply numbers got a big shot in the arm April 7 with the release of the latest estimate for runoff. The April-August supply at The Dalles bumped up 5 percent to 89 percent of average from the week before. That's a full 10-percent increase since the end of February.

The Snake Basin picked up as well, with April-Sept. inflows to Lower Granite Pool up to 94 percent of average, up 5 percent from the previous week, and recovering from a 75-percent of average estimated at the end of February

Above Coulee, the water supply went from 88 percent of average to 92 percent, while the north Cascades gained little; the Skagit is still only 80 percent of average, and up 1 percent. On the eastside, the Methow Basin dropped from 65 percent to 63 percent of average from April-Sept, but the Yakima Basin improved 13 percent since February. It's now up to 89 percent.

In Montana, at Hungry Horse, water supply dropped to 96 percent from 101 percent, while Idaho's Clearwater Basin is 102 percent, up 5 percent.

Meanwhile, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center shows near ocean temperatures several degrees below average for this time of year, and University of Washington climate researchers said the PDO negative index is up from last month to -1.59 from -1.55 last month and -1.40 in January; that's generally taken to mean conditions will stay cool and wet for some time to come. -B. R.

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