There is more water behind Anderson Ranch Dam this year than at this time a year ago.
There is much more water behind Anderson Ranch Dam than in an average year. Usually in the winter the water should be draining from the reservoir but this year and last year the water coming into the pool has been enough to match the 300 cfs outflow.
It’s still the middle of winter and lots more snow needs to pile up in the mountains, but early indications are the snowpack is average or better, but more importantly there is A LOT of water in Anderson Ranch Reservoir. And it’s got to come downstream at some point in 2011.
So for our first update for 2011 we present a state of the river report, looking at the coming water year. Long time South Fork Boise aficionados recall the normal flow regime is 300 cfs in the winter (Oct through March), followed by the 600 cfs for the shoulder season, usually a period in September but also importantly in April and May for the mainstem river spawning. Then during the summer it’s around 1,800 cfs in a steady push of water for downstream irrigation and salmon water budget contributions.
This year looks like it will be different because the water is stacking up, more than in recent years. Here’s what we know so far…
South Fork of the Boise during the salmon fly hatch.
Thinking back to summer, big flows, big fish on dry flies.
