MINOT – This spring’s runoff into the Souris River basin is more likely to be measured in ounces than in acre feet. Snow cover is either gone or very minimal throughout the drainage with developing drought conditions becoming a major concern.
The latest Flood Potential Outlook for the Souris River, issued Thursday by the National Weather Service, confirmed what many already knew -- that little or no spring runoff can be expected. Conditions are vastly different from the deep snowpack and saturated soil conditions prevalent during the spring of 2011, a year of historic flooding all along the Souris, including the City of Minot.
According to the outlook, “The flood risks within the Souris River Basin of North Dakota remain well below normal across the North Dakota portion of the Souris River Basin, generally due to a well below normal Snow-Water Equivalent (SWE) in the snowpack. While the overall risk for widespread flooding is below normal...”
The outlook cites “a near impermeable layer of frozen soil” and spring rain as conditions to monitor, but adds, “Without at least normal to above-normal precipitation going forward, increased and
expanding drought designations are more likely to be a concern than flooding.”
