BOZEMAN — After an unusually dry winter, questions are growing about water levels at Hyalite Reservoir, a key water source for the city of Bozeman.
"If you look at Gallatin County here," said the director of utilities with the city of Bozeman, Shawn Kohtz. "We are in a severe drought condition compared to normal conditions."
Kohtz is referencing this U.S. drought monitor map. He explained that these current conditions are because of the little snow and warmer temperatures we've had this winter.
Hydrologist with Montana NRCS, Florence Miller, agreed.
"That triggered widespread snow melt across the Gallatin," she explained. "Which resulted in April 1 water levels being record low for the Gallatin watershed."
WATCH: Severe drought and record low snowpack raise new concerns for Bozeman's Hyalite Reservoir water levels
Miller said the Gallatin watershed set its lowest snowpack on record for the past 60 years at the start of this month.
"In the Rocky Mountain West, about 50 to 80 percent of summer stream flow comes from snowpack," added Miller.
Reservoirs like Hyalite depend on snowpack and streams to fill them, and according to the Gallatin Watershed Council, Hyalite is a primary source of Bozeman's drinking water.
Miller explained that right now, the Hyalite reservoir is 60 percent full, which is not at capacity; however, that is completely normal for this time of year.
"While we are at a normal level, the reservoir will need to receive more snow melt driven run off to reach its normal fill capacity," she said.
She added that it's too early to tell whether or not this will be a concern heading into the summer months.
"But, I think the concern right now is twofold," explained Miller. "How much water is stored in the snowpack to be able to fill it, and the timing of that volume of water moving through the system?"
Looking at the weather forecast, there may be some snow Thursday morning and some rain next week, which Kohtz said could help fill the Hyalite reservoir.
In the meantime, Kohtz added that since landscape irrigation in Bozeman accounts for about 50 percent of the city's annual water use...
"It's really important to look at midterm forecasts," he said. "You'll see there's rain coming, so you don't need to turn your sprinkler systems on yet."
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