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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- As results trickle in from the 2006 water year, early indications are that the state's water levels continue to recover from years of drought.
The water year officially ended Saturday and nearly all of the state had a normal to above-normal year of precipitation.
"The reservoirs have been drawn down because of use, but overall they've gained ground because of the increased runoff during the past few years," said Brian McInerney, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City.
And the forecast is good for the new water year.
Lake Powell continues to be a concern. The state's largest reservoir remains at 49 percent capacity. According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the lake's 2006 inflow was just 72 percent of average. But that's still higher than the lake received during the successive run of drought years.
Bear Lake has also been slower to refill, but McInerney said the state's other major reservoirs are at normal to above-normal levels for this time of year.
The new water year appears to be getting off to a promising start. McInerney said a big storm system is expected this week.
"These aren't scattered thunderstorms," McInerney said. "This is a big system, a wide weather pattern that is anticipated to produce a lot of rain and additional moisture for the soil."
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
