…DROUGHT STATEMENT FOR NEVADA AND EASTERN CALIFORNIA…

…MODERATE TO EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS IN MOST OF   NEVADA AND

EASTERN CALIFORNIA…

…ALL NEVADA COUNTIES…AND ALL CALIFORNIA COUNTIES   BORDERING

NEVADA HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED NATURAL DROUGHT DISASTER AREAS   BY THE

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE…

1/ NEVADA AND EASTERN CALIFORNIA DROUGHT DISASTER   DESIGNATIONS…

AS OF MAY 15 2013…ALL COUNTIES IN NEVADA AND ALL   CALIFORNIA

COUNTIES ALONG THE NEVADA BORDER HAD BEEN DESIGNATED   NATURAL DROUGHT

DISASTER AREAS…EITHER AS PRIMARY COUNTIES OR CONTIGUOUS

COUNTIES…BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

PRIMARY DROUGHT DISASTER COUNTIES IN CALIFORNIA ALONG THE   NEVADA

BORDER INCLUDE MODOC…LASSEN…MONO…INYO AND SAN   BERNARDINO.

ALL NEVADA COUNTIES HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED PRIMARY DROUGHT   DISASTER

COUNTIES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF EUREKA COUNTY.

IN NEVADA…THE AREAS OF EXTREME DROUGHT INCLUDED   SOUTHWEST

HUMBOLDT… EAST CENTRAL WASHOE…WESTERN AND SOUTHERN

PERSHING…ALL OF CHURCHILL…EASTERN LYON…NORTHERN   MINERAL…AND

SOUTHEAST ELKO COUNTIES. ALL OF THE REST OF NEVADA WAS IN   MODERATE

TO SEVERE DROUGHT /LEVELS 1 AND 2/…WITH THE EXCEPTION OF   MOST OF

NORTHEAST CLARK AND NORTHERN ELKO COUNTIES…WHICH WERE   CLASSIFIED

AS ABNORMALLY DRY.

FOR CALIFORNIA COUNTIES BORDERING NEVADA…MODOC SOUTH TO   ALPINE

COUNTY WERE IN MODERATE DROUGHT /LEVEL 1/…WHILE MONO   SOUTH TO SAN

BERNARDINO COUNTY WERE CLASSIFIED AS IN SEVERE DROUGHT.   CURRENTLY…

NO EXTREME DROUGHT /LEVEL 3/ IS DESIGNATED IN CALIFORNIA.

WALKER RIVER BASIN…

DUE TO BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION AND SNOWPACK ON THE   WALKER

BASIN…EAST WALKER RIVER IRRIGATORS WILL RECEIVE 23   PERCENT OF

THEIR NORMAL ALLOTMENT. ON THE WEST WALKER THEY WILL   RECEIVE 9

PERCENT OR NORMAL…AND ON THE MAINSTEM WALKER THEY WILL   RECEIVE

ABOUT 12 PERCENT.

CARSON RIVER BASIN…

THE UPPER CARSON RIVER BASIN…ABOVE LAHONTAN DAM…WILL   HAVE VERY

LOW FLOWS THIS SEASON.    MOST IRRIGATORS WILL ONLY HAVE WATER

AVAILABLE DURING SPRING RUNOFF…THROUGH ABOUT MID JUNE.   BELOW

LAHONTAN RESERVOIR… IRRIGATORS WILL RECEIVE 75 PERCENT   OF THEIR

NORMAL ALLOTMENT.

TRUCKEE RIVER BASIN…

NO RESTRICTIONS ARE IN PLACE FOR IRRIGATORS OR ANY OTHER   USES ON THE  MAINSTEM TRUCKEE RIVER   THIS YEAR…OTHER THAN NORMAL URBAN WATERING

RESTRICTIONS.

AS TEMPERATURES WARM AND FUELS DRY THIS SPRING AND   SUMMER…FIRE

DANGER WILL INCREASE THROUGHOUT THE REGION. FIRE DANGER   WILL BE

EXPECIALLY HIGH IN TIMBERED AREAS IN THE SIERRA NEVADA AND   SOUTHERN

CASCADES IN CALIFORNIA AND WEST CENTRAL NEVADA…AND ALSO   IN

NORTHERN ELKO COUNTY NEVADA…WHERE FUELS HAVE BEEN DRIER   THAN

NORMAL FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS. THE PRIMARY CONCERN IS   FOR

OUTBREAKS OF DRY LIGHTNING CAUSED BY SUMMER THUNDERSTORMS   WHICH

COULD TRIGGER FIRES.

5/ HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS AS OF MAY 17 2013…

STREAMFLOW IS EXPECTED TO BE WELL BELOW AVERAGE THIS   SPRING AND

SUMMER REGION WIDE DUE TO BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION AND   SNOWFALL.

A/ SUSAN RIVER…

ON MAY 17TH…FLOWS ON THE SUSAN RIVER AT SUSANVILLE WERE   ABOUT 130

CUBIC FEET PER SECOND /CFS/…OR ABOUT 63 PERCENT OF THE   AVERAGE

FLOW OF 205 CFS FOR THIS DATE.

B/ PIT RIVER…

ON MAY 17TH…FLOWS NEAR CANBY CALIFORNIA…WERE ABOUT 24   CFS…OR

ABOUT 7 PERCENT OF THE AVERAGE FLOW OF 328 CFS FOR THIS   DATE.

C/ UPPER FEATHER RIVER…

ON MAY 17TH…FLOWS ON THE MIDDLE FORK FEATHER RIVER NEAR   PORTOLA

WERE ABOUT 28 CFS OR 8 PERCENT OF THE AVERAGE FLOW OF 358   CFS FOR

THIS DATE.

D/ LAKE TAHOE AND TRUCKEE RIVER BASINS…

MAY 17TH STORAGE ON LAKE TAHOE AND TRUCKEE BASIN   RESERVOIRS WAS

AS FOLLOWS… /NOTE…AF IS ABBREVIATION FOR ACRE FEET/.

LAKE TAHOE……405100 AF…54 PCT OF CAPACITY… 91 PCT   OF MAY 31 AVG.

PROSSER RSVR…..12942 AF…45 PCT OF CAPACITY… 74 PCT   OF MAY 31 AVG.

STAMPEDE RSVR…156714 AF…69 PCT OF CAPACITY…107 PCT   OF MAY 31 AVG.

BOCA RSVR……..29909 AF…73 PCT OF CAPACITY… 91 PCT   OF MAY 31 AVG.

MAY 17TH FLOWS AND PERCENT OF AVERAGE FOR THIS DATE ON THE   TRUCKEE

RIVER WERE AS FOLLOWS… /NOTE…CFS IS ABBREVIATION FOR   CUBIC FEET

PER SECOND/.

TAHOE CITY… 70 CFS… 46 PCT OF  153 CFS AVERAGE

TRUCKEE……177 CFS… 33 PCT OF  535 CFS AVERAGE

FARAD……..818 CFS… 46 PCT OF 1770 CFS AVERAGE

RENO………614 CFS… 41 PCT OF 1500 CFS AVERAGE

VISTA……..727 CFS… 41 PCT OF 1760 CFS AVERAGE

WADSWORTH….391 CFS… 24 PCT OF 1600 CFS AVERAGE

NIXON……..416 CFS… 32 PCT OF 1320 CFS AVERAGE

E/ CARSON RIVER BASIN ABOVE LAHONTAN RESERVOIR…

MAY 17TH FLOWS AND PERCENT OF AVERAGE FOR THIS DATE ON THE

CARSON RIVER ABOVE LAHONTAN RESERVOIR WERE AS FOLLOWS…

EAST FK CARSON NR MARKLEEVILLE…. 647 CFS.. 53 PCT OF 1220 CFS AVERAGE

EAST FK CARSON R NR GARDNERVILLE.. 613 CFS.. 47 PCT OF   1300 CFS AVERAGE

WEST FK CARSON R AT WOODFORDS….. 180 CFS.. 46 PCT   OF  389 CFS AVERAGE

CARSON RVR NR CARSON CITY……… 455 CFS.. 36 PCT OF   1260 CFS AVERAGE

CARSON RVR AT DAYTON………….. 488 CFS.. 30 PCT OF   1630 CFS AVERAGE

CARSON RVR NR FT CHURCHILL…….. 518 CFS.. 44 PCT OF   1180 CFS AVERAGE

F/ WALKER RIVER BASIN…

AS OF MAY 17TH…STORAGE ON BRIDGEPORT RESERVOIR WAS 15580   ACRE

FEET… 37 PERCENT OF CAPACITY…AND 60 PCT OF THE MAY 31   AVERAGE.

STORAGE ON TOPAZ WAS 17650 AF…30 PCT OF CAPACITY…44   PCT OF THE

MAY 31 AVERAGE. WALKER RIVER IRRIGATION DISTRICT REPORTS   THAT

AGRICULTURAL DELIVERIES THIS SEASON WILL BE AT ABOUT 9   PERCENT OF

AVERAGE FOR IRRIGATORS HAVING WEST WALKER RIVER WATER   RIGHTS…23

PERCENT OF AVERAGE FOR THOSE HAVING EAST WALKER RIVER   WATER

RIGHTS…AND ABOUT 12 PERCENT OF AVERAGE FOR THOSE HAVING   MAINSTEM

WALKER RIVER RIGHTS.

MAY 17TH FLOWS AND PERCENT OF AVERAGE FOR THIS DATE ON THE   WALKER

RIVER WERE AS FOLLOWS…

E WALKER RVR BLW BRIDGEPORT RSVR..117 CFS.. 46 PCT OF 256   CFS AVERAGE

W WALKER RVR ABV TOPAZ RSVR…… 572 CFS.. 66 PCT OF 872   CFS AVERAGE

W WALKER RVR BLW TOPAZ RSVR…… 482 CFS.. 74 PCT OF 647   CFS AVERAGE

WALKER RIVER NEAR MASON………. 298 CFS.. 69 PCT OF 433   CFS AVERAGE

WALKER RVR NR WABUSKA…………  42 CFS.. 18 PCT OF 230 CFS AVERAGE

WALKER RVR BLW WEBER DAM NR SCHURZ  5 CFS… 2 PCT OF 319 CFS AVERAGE

LONG RANGE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NEVADA AND EASTERN   CALIFORNIA…

FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLIMATE PREDICTION   CENTER…

THE REMAINDER OF MAY IS EXPECTED TO BE COOLER THAN NORMAL   THROUGHOUT

THE REGION…ESPECIALLY IN EASTERN CALIFORNIA AND WESTERN   NEVADA.

PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR NORMAL THROUGHOUT   MOST OF

NEVADA AND EASTERN CALIFORNIA DURING THE REST OF MAY…THE   EXCEPTION

IS NORTHEAST NEVADA WHERE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BE   BELOW

NORMAL.

THE LONG RANGE OUTLOOK FOR THE MONTHS OF JUNE THROUGH   AUGUST IS FOR

WARMER THAN NORMAL CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE REGION.  PRECIPITATION

IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR NORMAL…WITH THE EXCEPTION OF   EXTREME

NORTHERN NEVADA AND CALIFORNIA…WHERE PRECIPITATION IS   EXPECTED TO

BE BELOW NORMAL.

INFORMATION FOR THIS STATEMENT HAS BEEN GATHERED FROM NWS   AND U.S.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OBSERVATION SITES…CALIFORNIA AND   NEVADA

DIVISIONS OF WATER RESOURCES AND STATE   CLIMATOLOGISTS…NEVADA

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE…PERSHING COUNTY WATER   CONSERVATION

DISTRICT…WALKER RIVER IRRIGATION DISTRICT…WALKER RIVER   PAIUTE

TRIBE…FEDERAL WATER MASTERS…TRUCKEE/CARSON IRRIGATION

DISTRICT…AND NWS OFFICES IN RENO…ELKO AND LAS VEGAS.

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS…

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS DROUGHT   INFORMATION

STATEMENT PLEASE CONTACT…

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

2350 RAGGIO PKWY

RENO NV 89512

PHONE…775-673-8100

WEATHER.GOV/RENO

REV.WEBMASTER@NOAA.GOV