Low snow means dry year
By Jim Cornelius

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It's shaping up to be a dry year in Central Oregon.

With precipitation at 56 percent of normal in the Deschutes River Basin and snowpack at 66 percent of normal, folks in the region are looking at shallower lakes and trickling streams come summertime.

According to Deschutes County Watermaster Kyle Gorman, "the abundant water we've seen over the past four years, we won't be seeing. It hasn't been this dry since 1994."

Squaw Creek's flows should be at their minimum by June this year, Gorman predicted. Reservoirs will be noticeably lower. Municipal water supplies shouldn't be affected, Gorman said. The well-filling aquifer that runs under the region is strong.

Gorman noted that, since it's still January, there's still the potential for heavy snows.

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However, the watermaster said, "It's going to take a lot of snow to make up that ground, to get to normal."

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