Reclamation Snowmelt Forecast for North Platte River Basin

MILLS, Wyo. - Reclamation's March forecast shows that spring water runoff from mountain snowmelt in the North Platte River Basin above Glendo Dam is expected to be well below average this year.

Snowpack is well below average and the Upper North Platte Basin is in severe drought. From April through July, total runoff is expected to reach approximately 360,000 acre-feet, which is approximately 39% of the 30-year average.

The total conservation storage capacity of the North Platte Reservoir System is approximately 2,815,800 acre-feet. As of February 28, 2026, the combined storage content in the North Platte Reservoirs was 1,115,676 acre-feet, which is 65% of the 30-year average.

Current releases:

• Seminoe Reservoir: 630 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the Miracle Mile
• Gray Reef Reservoir: 500 cfs
• Glendo Reservoir: 25 cfs
• Guernsey Reservoir: No current releases

Projected releases (Summer):

• Seminoe Reservoir: Expected to peak at approximately 2,600 cfs
• Gray Reef Reservoir: Expected to range from approximately 1,000 to 2,500 cfs
• Guernsey Reservoir: Expected to range from approximately 1,600 to 5,000 cfs
• Pathfinder Reservoir: Not expected to spill this spring
• North Platte Project: An allocation is expected based on the current forecast. Limited supply will likely push back dates of irrigation releases from Guernsey Reservoir.

Reclamation's Wyoming Area Office operates seven reservoirs on the North Platte River with Seminoe Reservoir farthest upstream and Guernsey Reservoir farthest downstream. This system provides irrigation supply to hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland and produces power generation from 6 powerplants that supply power to tens of thousands of homes.