Cold, wet March brings much-needed water to Idaho

BOISE, Idaho (AP) _ For the first time this year, state and federal water experts say Idaho has gotten its fair share of rain, dramatically improving the state's water supply outlook.

``The moisture was like our bailout, and now there's money - or water - in the bank,'' said Ron Abramovich, a hydrologist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Idaho. ``Now we'll see how efficiently it's used.''

Last month, snowpack levels were at about 85 percent of average statewide, Abramovich said. But on Thursday, he said that had improved to between 80 and 110 percent of average, with the lowest percentage seen in southwestern Idaho. The unexpected showers left water experts dubbing the last several weeks ``miracle March.''

``I've never seen it jump so much in one month. The precipitation was twice the normal average, and caused our streamflow forecast to rise 30 percent, from 80 to 110 of average in the Middle Fork of the Salmon,'' Abramovich said. ``If it didn't rain and snow last month, we'd be painting a different picture today.''

The additional moisture means that the Snake River near Idaho Falls is expected to have flows at about 101 percent of its average level, Abramovich said. That water, combined with water stored in reservoirs from last year, should be enough to supply the downstream water users in southern Idaho, he said.

Still, the Magic Reservoir in southern Idaho's Big Wood Basin is only 22 percent full, and is the second-lowest reservoir in the state. The lowest is the Salmon Falls Reservoir, at about 17 percent of capacity - less than half the average amount of water it holds this time of year.

Lake Owyhee in southern Idaho is about half full, but because the region has probably already seen most of its snowmelt, the lake may not increase much more, Abramovich said. Reservoirs in Cascade, Dworshak, Boise, Brownlee, Palisades, Island Park and Jackson Lake all have above-average storage amounts.

The entire state has a below-average risk of flooding this spring, except for the Henry's Ford in upper eastern Idaho, said Jay Breidenbach with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Although it will take several wet years before Idaho will be officially out of its drought, the overall weather and water trend has been improving, Breidenbach said.