Arizona Prepares for Snowmelt with Predicted Moisture
As snowmelt accelerates in Arizona, the National Weather Service in Phoenix has predicted more moisture this week, increasing the flow of water in the region.
The Salt River Project (SRP) has been releasing water from the Verde River reservoirs to capture the high inflows from the snowmelt, and these releases are expected to continue.
The flooding of low-bearing streets has resulted in their closure and could expand to greater areas if the storm comes in stronger than expected.
The significant snowpack and precipitation, both high elevation snow and rain, throughout the winter have led to these measures.
The SRP says the winter season has had the biggest snowpack on the Verde River Watershed since 1993, measuring about 20 inches of snow water equivalent just south of Flagstaff last week.
This amount is about two Monsoon Seasons worth of rainfall.
The National Weather Service in Phoenix predicts that this week’s moisture will accelerate the snowmelt further.
If there is more rain, the releases could go up to a very high volume, leading to more water entering the river and wash systems.
However, experts say this is good news as the valley has been experiencing drought conditions for several years.
The water from the snowmelt is refilling the reservoirs, which is charging the aquifers and refilling the entire system.
Phoenix has three water supplies: groundwater, the Colorado River, and water from reservoirs that SRP manages.
While groundwater and the reservoirs are expected to be full by the end of winter, there is still uncertainty about the Colorado River’s water supply, which is a national issue that many states are dealing with.
