Drink to a better water year

Today marks the end of the wetter part of the water year. However much water is nestled in the snowpack today will be doled out over the next few months to irrigate.

The Carson River basin did pretty well this year, and April provided a much needed boost.

Ebbetts Pass has 7.2 inches of extra water in the snow compared to the same time last year, Carson Pass has nearly 10 inches more and Monitor Pass is 7 inches deeper than in 2009. All three are running ahead of average.

Sierra snowpack is like money in the bank for Valley ranchers. The more water that's locked up in the mountains during the winter and spring, the more is available to irrigate during the summer months.

And while irrigation water is flowing, that means that the people in agriculture aren't tapping the aquifer to make up the difference, which means more water for us to drink.

Last year we had a nice long cool spring that saw an actual increase in the snow pack into May and June. Those are good years.

There's no telling what May and June will do this year, but being ahead of the game today is a good place to be, and something worth celebrating with a drink.