TMWA announces water supply projections from recent snowpack measurements - KRNV
TMWA announces water supply projections from recent snowpack measurements
RENO, Nev. — As we inch into spring, the Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) has finished measuring all of the snowpack from this past winter. The water agency revealed in a meeting Tuesday that there was 114% above normal snowpack, which has resulted in an above normal water supply projected for this year.
Because of this, there is also expected to be above normal streamflow runoff this year for both the Truckee River and Lake Tahoe basins. In fact, all upstream reservoirs, including Lake Tahoe, are expected to fill completely this year.
"With a full Lake Tahoe, we've got at least two years of normal river flows, potentially three, depending on how severe the drought is. So, no matter what happens next year or even the following winter, we'll have normal water supplies, normal flows in the Truckee for at least two years, potentially three or more," Water Supply Supervisor for the TMWA Bill Hauck said.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the large majority of California, Nevada and the entire Sierra Nevada Mountain Range are now drought-free, which means TMWA will have normal water supply operations this year. However, water conservation policies, like assigned-day watering and standard water conservation hours, are still in effect.
The TMWA is also letting the community know about an annual event it is hosting this weekend called 'Smart About Water Day', where residents can learn about where your drinking water comes from.
The event is on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the McKinley Arts and Culture Center on Riverside Drive in Reno.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: hydropower
Hydropower — electricity generated by turbines capturing energy from moving water — was for many years the primary contributor of renewable energy to the U.S. electricity grid. Its growth was rapid into the 1970s, and since then has offered a stable supply of power, while a declining share of all generation. For many years, hydropower was seen as clean energy and an unalloyed good, but a greater understanding of the impact of dams on ecosystems and wildlife has led to the removal of some dams. As of 2019, hydropower trails wind as a renewable source of power generation.