Amador County – The California Department of Water Resources made its first snow survey of the year Tuesday, finding the driest winter month conditions in 15 years in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

California Department of Water Resources information officer Ted Thomas announced details on the first 2012 survey of California’s mountain snowpack, calling it “among the driest for the date on record.”

Manual and electronic readings showed the snowpack’s statewide water content is at 19 percent of the Jan. 3 average. Figures were 7 percent of the average April 1 measurement when snowpack is normally at its peak, before the spring melt. Thomas said despite Tuesday’s dry conditions, “water managers remain cautiously optimistic about this year’s water supply.”

Water Resources Director Mark Cowin said: “Fortunately, we have most of winter ahead of us, and our reservoir storage is good.” Results of Tuesday’s manual readings off Highway 50 near Echo Summit showed 7.1 inches of snow at Lyons Creek, (elevation 6,700 feet), and 4 inches of snow at Phillips Station, (at elevation 6,800). The “Alpha” location (7,600 feet elevation) had zero inches of snow, as did Tamarack Flat, at elevation 6,500.

Thomas said that “electronic readings indicate that water content in the northern mountains is 21 percent of normal for the date, 8 percent of the April 1 average. Central Sierra levels are 13 percent of normal for Jan. 3, and 5 percent of the April 1 average. Southern Sierra levels are 26 percent of the Jan.3 average, and 9 percent of the April 1 average.

Water Resources and cooperating agencies conduct manual snow surveys around the first of the month from January to May. The manual surveys supplement and check the accuracy of real-time electronic readings from sensors up and down the state.

The Department’s “initial estimate is that the State Water Project will be able to deliver 60 percent of the slightly more than 4 million acre-feet of water requested by the 29 public agencies that supply more than 25 million Californians and nearly a million acres of irrigated farmland,” Thomas said. “The 60 percent delivery estimate is largely based on the known quantify of carryover reservoir storage. Unknown is how much snow and rain the state will get the rest of this winter.”

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.