NRCS reports March water supply outlook

On March 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) released the Wyoming Basin and Water Supply Outlook Report for March 2026, which analyzes snowpack, precipitation, streamflow and reservoir storage across the state of Wyoming. 

The report assesses the water supply outlook for the entire state of Wyoming, as well as individual basins including the Snake River, Madison Headwaters, Yellowstone River, Wind River, Big Horn River, Shoshone River, Powder River, Tongue River, Belle Fourche River, Cheyenne River, Upper North Platte River, Lower North Platte River, Laramie River, Sweetwater River, South Platte River, Little Snake River, Upper Green River, Lower Green River and Upper Bear River basins.

Snowpack and precipitation

According to NRCS, as of March 1, snow water equivalent (SWE) across Wyoming was 76 percent of median. 

The Yellowstone River Basin reported the highest SWE in the state at 106 percent of median, while the South Platte River Basin reported the lowest SWE at 25 percent of median.

The Belle Fourche, Big Horn, Cheyenne, Laramie, Little Snake, Lower Green, Lower North Platte, Powder, South Platte, Tongue, Upper Bear and Upper North Platte river basins posted SWEs below the 89 percent of median recorded from 1991 to 2020.

Additionally, the report notes the Upper Bear River Basin saw the highest amount of precipitation for the month at 121 percent of median, while the Tongue River Basin saw the least amount of precipitation at 36 percent of median.

Streamflow yields

For April through September, NRCS forecasts streamflow yields from all basins in Wyoming – except the Green River, Little Snake River and Cheyenne River basins – at 91 percent of median. 

For these three exceptions, streamflow yields from April through July are predicted to report 62 percent of median in the Cheyenne River Basin, 66 percent of median in the Little Snake River Basin, 77 percent of median in the Lower Green River Basin and 91 percent of median in the Upper Green River Basin.

Streamflow yields for individual basins across the state include the Upper North Platte River Basin at 65 percent of median, the Lower North Platte River Basin at 67 percent of median, the Laramie River Basin at 73 percent of median and the Sweetwater River Basin at 80 percent of median.

Additionally, the Tongue, Powder, Wind, Big Horn and Shoshone river basins are forecast to yield 91 percent, 93 percent, 98 percent, 100 percent and 128 percent of median, respectively.

Reservoir storage

The NRCS report goes on to note reservoir storage across the entire state of Wyoming averaged 60 percent of median as of March 1.

Several basins reported reservoir numbers below median, including those in the Upper Bear River Basin at 41 percent, the Laramie River Basin at 57 percent, the Upper North Platte River Basin at 58 percent, the Cheyenne River Basin at 78 percent, the Wind River Basin at 84 percent and the Boysen Reservoir in the Big Horn River Basin at 88 percent.

Reservoirs reporting numbers near median include the Buffalo Bill Reservoir on the Shoshone at 90 percent, the Lower North Platte River Basin at 95 percent, the Lower Green River Basin at 96 percent, the Snake River Basin at 98 percent and the Belle Fourche River Basin at 101 percent.

Reservoirs in the Upper Green River Basin reported numbers above median at 115 percent. 

Hannah Bugas is the managing editor for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.