WaterTop story
The fall rains pushed SRP's reservoirs from 53% to 70% full in less than a week
SRP's reservoirs rose from 53% to 70% full in less than a week
70%SRP reservoir system full on Nov. 6
Sources: KJZZ, AZ Big Media
View as table
| Value | |
|---|---|
| SRP reservoir system full on Nov. 6 | 70% |
| Full on Nov. 1 | 53% |
If you've wondered where all that rain went, a lot of it is now in SRP's reservoirs. The Salt River Project says October and November inflows are the highest on record on the Salt and Verde watershed, about eight times greater than average. SRP's system went from 53% full on Nov. 1 to 70% full on Nov. 6, storing about 370,000 acre-feet of water.
Stephen Flora, an SRP senior hydrologist, said that's about half a year's worth of demand for the utility's Phoenix-area distribution system. In a few days, the reservoirs took in as much as they typically get in a normal winter, after three dry winters. Some released water also seeped into the aquifer under the Valley.
- Peak Verde River inflow: about 94,000 cubic feet per second
- Peak Roosevelt Lake inflow: about 145,000 cubic feet per second
- One acre-foot: roughly a year's supply for three homes
The storms stored 120 billion gallons for SRP
- 370,000
- acre-feet of water stored
- 120 billion
- gallons stored in SRP's reservoirs
- 8 times
- greater than average, October and November inflows
Sources: KJZZ, AZ Big Media
The Colorado River system saw only modest gains, inflows KJZZ calls "a drop in the bucket," so the supply crisis behind the Phoenix area's cutbacks is far from over. SRP says releases have returned to normal operating ranges.
