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SUNNY Temp: 55 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, November 21, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 20, 2002 Paco Stewart and Jack Bryant of Ashland walk down a ramp at Lost Creek Lake to move a boat from the marina Thursday before the water level drops even more, leaving the ramp high and dry. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Winter forecast: wet State climatologist and the Farmer’s Almanac disagree with NOAA, which says it’ll be dry MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune Oregon’s chief climatologist says this winter should be wet enough to wash away any lingering effects of recent droughts west of the Cascades. Warm water temperatures in the tropical Pacific likely will bring enough rain and even some low-elevation snow in early 2003 to recoup groundwater reserves, soil moisture and lake levels lost in the 2000-01 drought, state climatologist George Taylor said. "I think if we get a little bit above average, we can make up the (water) deficit in Western Oregon, and that includes the southwest interior around Medford," Taylor said Thursday. "I really hope I’m correct, because wet is good now." But wet also clashes with the forecast of a mild, drier winter for western Oregon by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "If they’re right, we can have more problems," Taylor said. "If I’m right, we’ll be OK. "And by the way," he said, "the ‘Farmer’s Almanac’ agrees with me." Taylor’s predictions come as area reservoirs are dropping in the tail end of summer. Lost Creek Lake has dropped more than a foot below the targeted minimum level for the winter, meaning the boat ramp at Stewart State Park could be high and dry as early as next week. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has reduced out-flows from the lake, which likely will drop another foot by next week, said Perry Salvestrin, operator of Stewart State Park. "There’s still people getting their boats in now, but it’s getting real close," Salvestrin said. "We’ve really done quite well, compared to last year." In 2001, the ramp was high and dry Aug. 13, almost five weeks earlier than this year, he said. After a promising start, last year’s winter snowpack in the Rogue Basin ended up just shy of average — enough to fulfill most of the area’s water needs but not enough to make up for 2000, which brought the Rogue Valley’s worst drought in a decade. Big Butte Springs, Medford’s main water source, was running all summer at about 85 percent of average, said Larry Rains, principal engineer for the Medford Water Commission. That was enough to provide all the water that Medford relies on from the springs, he said. If Taylor’s predictions hold true, Rains said the springs could be back to normal for the first time since 2000. "If we get some really good wet weather, we’ll get instantaneous recharge," Rains said. Jackson, Josephine and several other Oregon counties officially remain listed as in a drought — a status that is declared by the governor. That allows the counties to apply for part of the $752 million in relief announced Thursday by the Bush administration for parched Western states now collectively mired in the worst drought since the 1930s. Oregon will get a specific chunk of that money, and it likely will pass through the Oregon Department of Agriculture to the farmers, ranchers and other water-users like Klamath County farmers, whose water was cut off to help threatened fish survive the hot summer. "Klamath County will be high on the list, seeing what happened with the drought last year," said Louise Solliday, the chief natural resources adviser to Gov. John Kitzhaber. "Lake County will be right up there, too, along with Sherman and Wasco counties. Those counties will all be the biggest beneficiaries." Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S