The Water Information Program

With abundant mountain snow in most areas across the West. the pring runoff may provide a break from the drought that has sporadically parched the region since late 1999. The Colorado mountains are poised to unleash more runoff than they have in 11 years. Streams in Washington and Oregon are forecast to carry up to 50 percent more water than usual. Lake Powell, stretching more than 100 miles across Utah and Arizona, is expected to rise 50 feet from its current depleted state. "Overall, the entire West looks pretty good, Colorado and the Pacific Northwest in particular," said Tom Perkins, a senior hydrologist with the National Water and Climate Center in Portland, Ore. "There's no part of the West that's really what you'd call hurting." This winter was the region's wettest since 2004-05. It's rare for the entire region's mountains to enjoy a wet winter at the same time, said Doug LeComte, a drought specialist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Camp Springs, Md. "Usually there's a separation between the northern part of the West and the southern part of the West. One is usually very wet and one is very dry. That dichotomy went away this winter," he said.

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