Water outlook much better

By Rick Sherman

The current water outlook for the Price River Drainage Basin is much improved over the past few years in several categories.
According to a water resources update presented at the April 12 Price City Council meeting by Public Works Director Miles Nelson, the flow rate of the Colton Springs increased by 65 percent between February 5 and April 2, going from 1.6 million gallons per day to 2.65 million gallons per day.
As of April 11, the snow depth at the Mammoth-Cottonwood Snotel site was 51 inches, and the snow-water equivalent was 24.2 inches, which is 141 percent of average. That compares to 82 percent of average during the same period in 2016.
The figures for Scofield Reservoir are also much improved compared last year. Although still well below capacity, the reservoir’s elevation on April 10 was at 7,600.59 feet, with a water content of 23,814 acre feet. On the same date a year ago the reservoir contained 14,535 acre feet of water.
Nelson’s report also notes the current outflow from the reservoir is three cubic feet per second, which commenced March 31. The current inflow into the reservoir has averaged 113 cfs over the past three weeks.