On Sept. 30, Western Nevada said good-bye and good riddance to a water year that could be characterized as anything but wet.
Precipitation over the course of an average water year for Minden is 8.38 inches, according to the National Weather Service. The official record shows that only 4.59 inches fell in town during the period between Oct. 1, 2006, and last week.
Most of our precipitation hits in the winter months of December, January and February, which accounts for nearly half of the Valley's total.
More important than the amount of moisture falling in the Valley is the snowfall in the high Sierra, which feeds the Carson and Walker rivers.
Information from Caples Lake shows that location received 25.99 inches of moisture during the water year, compared to its average 46.45 inches.
If it weren't for the two remarkably wet water years we experienced previous to 2006-07, we would be hurting.
A prolonged drought is nothing new to Western Nevadans. They've lasted several years in the past, drying up Washoe Lake, forcing ranchers to rely on groundwater to green their fields, and affecting wildlife. One theory for the bear incursion we've experienced this summer is the lack of forage in the wilderness.
It was the last month of the water year that may hold hope for the next six. Precipitation during September was 95 percent of average, not bad for a month that tends to be dry.
Nevada's casinos offer far better odds of success than any attempt to predict what will happen with one of our winters. Here's hoping we're dealt a flush this winter and not a losing hand like the last one.
