The Natural Resources Conservation Service did their final snow survey of the year, finding that much of the water in the snowpack has already melted measuring ten inches of water left in the snow, the average for this time of year is 24.
While most of the snow has melted, the overall snowpack for the Boise Basin is 80-90 percent, nearing the average for a year of snow.
"We measure the snow to do water supply forecasts for the numerous users who rely on the annual runoff to make their decisions," said Ron Abramobich of the NRCS.
The snow survey is a piece of a much larger puzzle, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers use the data as one of the components to decide how much water to let out of the dams in an effort to control flooding.
The Bureau of Reclamation controls the reservoirs and the irrigation districts closely watch the levels in the reservoirs in the Boise Basin.
"The 2018 irrigation system is looking really good," said Daren Cook of the Nampa & Meridian Irrigation District. "That's because of the of the extraordinary snowpack from the winter of 2017.
The Nampa & Meridian Irrigation District is already looking towards 2019 and the data from the snow survey plays a part in all of it.
The crew from NRCS buckled up their snowshoes for one final time near Mores Creek Summit and the NRCS said the survey can also help river runners, fire departments and fisheries get an idea of what to expect this summer.
