As we do each year, the current water flow is measured in our red line and you can see that, unlike any of the previous ten years, our initial flowage number is almost three time what it has historically averaged during that time! Also, since we began tracking our very own Log-O-Meter just ten days ago, the water traversing downstream in and along Rock Creek has increased almost four-fold from 758 cubic feet per second on April 20th to today's flow of 2,990 cfs. In a word, things are now rock'n'rollin' as you can see that the flow is now fully mid-level of our horizontal log. This structure is located at the three mile marker along Rock Creek Road with Headquarters upstream another seven miles at the 10 mile marker.
What does all this mean, you ask??
Well, the current snow water equivalent of the snowpack yet in the upper climes is still tracking at 150% of twenty year norms so, visually, the amount of water that needs to find itself downstream is about equal to where we were at this point in time in the high water year of 2011 (the cream colored line on the attached graph). That is the amount of water that needs to move downhill by June 10th for us to be able to safely and successfully fish the local Missoula rivers. So, we have a good start towards that end, but, get this--the current ambient temperature at Headquarters is 45 degrees and it is scheduled to snow in the upper climes later tonight and all day tomorrow, just adding more to what we want less of!
Ah, Mother Nature, what a fickle 2018 runoff hand you are currently dealing to us!!
'Twill be a most interesting year to follow...
RCR---<'///:><
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