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Marc Giauque ReportingAt what's called the Outlet Works at Jordanelle Dam, water empties from a huge stainless steel pipe into the Provo river. Ed Vidmar of the Bureau of Reclamation is among those who decide just how much water will flow.
"This year we're starting the runoff season, coming off of another good year."
"We saw it developing through March, we were expecting up to eight-to-ten percent increases, kind of planning on that and in some places we got more than a ten percent increase."
In some areas they've seen a 20-percent increase, forcing water managers to release that precious water early, sometimes raising the ire of people downstream.
"The life of a reservoir operator is not always a pleasant one."
Randall Julander of the Natural Resources Conservation Service prepares forecasts for those who operate the dams. He knows how much snow is likely to turn into runoff, but...
"The timing becomes a very big issue."
So are storms that can't be predicted long-term. Bottom line, even with flood controls, things can go wrong.
"People need to recognize that just because you have a reservoir sitting above you, does not necessarily mean you're going to be protected from floods."
For reservoir operators, there's another end to the balancing act; let too much water out and run the risk of not filling, and possibly not meeting demands later in the season.
"It can be a juggling act at times. That's why I'm on this end of the business rather than that end."
Water users like the Weber Basin Water District make the final decision on how much goes in and out of the dams. They're anticipating all eight of their reservoirs will fill this year.
