Low-flow stream study being conducted

Workers from the U.S. Geological Survey are working to measure the amount of water in six western states. Measuring water in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada and Utah will give water agencies and officials an idea of how to provide water to their customers in future droughts.

The findings of the report will go into great detail about farming, irrigation, dam usage and how much each group should receive. It will also evaluate fish species that are protected under the Endangered Species Act.

“If water managers can understand which streams are most vulnerable it helps them target efforts for drought relief,” Chris Konrad, the study’s project chief, told The Orange County Register.

The study, which costs close to half a million dollars, aims to identify basins that are vulnerable to drought due to a lack of snowpack. According to researchers, they can identify those basins based off where they’re located geographically.

The reason some basins are suffering even though they’ve received the normal about of rainfall has to do with how the water is being delivered. Having a snowpack creates a steady flow of water, which replenishes the soil. Having one heavy rain doesn’t allow for that steady replenishment.

The report will be published next year.