Comparison of water year 2021 streamflow to historical data at selected sites in the Snake River Basin, Wyoming

Abstract

The headwaters of the Snake River are in the mountains of northwestern Wyoming on lands primarily administered by the National Park Service and the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Streamflow from the Snake River Basin has been measured at some sites for more than 100 years. Water from this drainage basin is used for recreational, agricultural, and municipal uses and power generation. Because of the many uses of the water and the ongoing drought in the Western United States, there is interest in how streamflow in water year 2021 compared to the historical data. Historical streamflow data are defined as the operational period of the streamgage through water year 2020. A water year is named for the year in which it ends; therefore, water year 2021 is October 1, 2020, through September 30, 2021.