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Sisters, Oregon
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The contents of the on-line edition of The Nugget represent a selection among the stories that appear in the weekly print edition.

Late snow helps area irrigators
By Jim Cornelius

Late season snows may be annoying when you've just taken your studded tires off and are looking for your tulips to start peeking out.

But irrigators are mighty pleased to see a decent snowpack develop in the high country.

"The lower elevation snow is around 40 percent and that's not good," said Squaw Creek Irrigation District (SCID) Manager Marc Thalacker. "The upper elevation snow is decent."

Local farmers are less dependent than others in the state on local runoff, getting their water instead from Squaw Creek. With a decent snowpack in the higher elevations, Squaw Creek should be in pretty good shape through most of the spring and summer.

That means that SCID water users should have a pretty good water year.

"It's definitely not a drought crisis," Thalacker said. "If I was to make a prediction and go out on a limb I'd say we'll probably average 60 to 70 percent (delivery) on the year."

Unless there is an early heat wave, Thalacker expects full delivery through June and July, with any pinch coming in August. In other words, a pretty normal water year.

Of course, it all depends on weather. Hot weather can make short work of late snows.

"It's like a bank up there," Thalacker said. "It's up to Mother Nature to decide how to pay us."

But Thalacker is happy to take what Mother Nature has dished out this year -- even though it's late.

The recent snow storms have not been particularly heavy -- hardly dusting Sisters -- but they have left a good accumulation higher up.

There is about 130 inches of snowpack in the high mountains, Thalacker said, close enough to the 150 inches or so that mark a good water year.

"It's a blessing," Thalacker said. "It was only a month ago that we were looking at 70 inches up there."

The difference is stark between snowfall measurements in high and low spots.

The Three Creek snow station reports 40 percent of normal while the McKenzie Pass station records 84 percent of normal. Basin wide, precipitation is 67 percent of normal.

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