Nevada drought conditions improving after wet winter

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A moist winter has result in heavy rain and snow all through the southwest and also you may marvel if it is doing something to alleviate the present drought disaster. The reply is sure and no.

On Thursday, the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration mentioned these climate situations worn out distinctive and excessive drought situations in California for the primary time since 2020.

Right here in Nevada, state climatologist Steph McAfee mentioned lower than 10% of the state is now in excessive drought situations. The one counties in that classification are Lincoln, Nye, and Clark Counties. In a report printed on Tuesday, McAfee additionally writes that the Sierra Nevada and Nice Basin and one and a half to just about 3 times as a lot snow in comparison with a median February. She provides some components of Nevada are additionally seeing their wettest October-February interval for the reason that Eighteen Nineties.

NOAA, USDA, NDMC

Nonetheless, it may very well be greater than a yr earlier than it has an impact on Lake Mead. That is as a result of water launch and retention operations for Lake Mead and Lake Powell are already set for the yr.

“It is positively shifting in the precise route however we’re removed from filling the reservoirs within the Colorado River system,” Paul Miller, a hydrologist with the Nationwide Climate Service’s Colorado Basin River Forecast Middle, mentioned. “We’re removed from being at a cushty level from a water provide perspective.”

The Bureau of Reclamation tracks water ranges at Lake Mead. When taking a look at previous information, the degrees have been steadily happening yearly since 2018. Between February 2022 and February 2023, it was a distinction of virtually 20 ft.

The decreasing water ranges are affecting how many individuals are visiting the leisure space. In accordance with Nationwide Park service customer information, in 2021, 7,603,474 individuals visited Lake Mead in comparison with simply 5,578,226 in 2022. That is down by almost 25%.

RELATED LINK: BOATERS AND BUSINESSES ADAPT TO FALLING WATER LEVELS AT LAKE MEAD

Meantime, states are contemplating methods to scale back the quantity of water they take from the Colorado River even when they can not agree on a plan shifting ahead. Six states, together with Nevada, are on board with one plan whereas California is proposing one other. California officers mentioned the opposite states ought to take advantage of water cuts since California wants extra water as a result of agriculture business. California at the moment makes use of probably the most water from the Colorado River and takes an estimated 4.4 million acre ft yearly.

Valley officers are taking a look at a wide range of methods to proceed reducing again on water together with limiting water at Henderson golf programs, not robotically offering water at eating places, and limiting residents who use an excessive amount of water.

The Southern Nevada Water Authority can also be accepting a $2.4 million grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to fund cloud seeding in different Western states whose rivers feed into the valley. That is in response to a brand new report from the Related Press. Utilizing planes and ground-based cannons, silver iodide crystals are shot into the clouds to draw moisture creating further snow and rain.

RELATED LINK: HOW DOES CLOUD SEEDING WORK?

The Southern Nevada Water Authority mentioned the funding will go in the direction of upgrading handbook turbines to ones that may be remotely operated and can give attention to key components of the Higher Colorado River Basin.