2025 Articles

Wyoming

Expedition Island on Green River

Read about Wyoming’s accomplishments during 2024 in the CRWUA Annual Report.

Here’s an excerpt:

Mountains in Wyoming’s portion of the Colorado River Basin had a snowpack that was slightly above average in Water Year 2024. Even so, total runoff was less than average. Further, after the snowpack had runoff, precipitation was below average for much of the summer. Those factors contributed to Lake Powell water levels generally remaining unchanged from 2023.

Fortunately, like 2023, Drought Response Operations Agreement (DROA) releases were not needed in 2024. Instead, DROA releases made from Flaming Gorge Reservoir in 2021 and 2022, totaling 588,000 acre-feet, were fully recovered on Feb. 28, 2024. This storage is not only significant for Wyoming’s local economy, but serves as a critical buffer against dry years in the future.