On paper, it looks like a good water year in Nevada County.
Reservoirs throughout the Nevada Irrigation District (NID) are sitting at about 117 percent of their historical average for early March, boosted by a few powerful winter storms and healthy carryover storage from prior years.
But high in the Sierra Nevada, where the District’s water supply begins, the snowpack tells a different story. At 65 percent of average, the mountains are holding far less water than water managers would like to see heading into spring.
That contrast between plenty of water today and less certainty for tomorrow is shaping how NID plans for the months ahead.
“It’s an unusual combination,” said Thor Larsen, NID Water Resource Superintendent. “We have strong reservoir storage right now, but the snowpack that refills those reservoirs is running light. That changes how we think about the year ahead.”
A Balancing Act in Real Time
For Larsen, the full reservoirs offer breathing room but not a guarantee.
“High storage gives us flexibility, but it doesn’t remove the need to plan carefully,” he said. “The snowpack is what sustains us through summer and into next year. When it’s below average, we have to be deliberate about every decision we make.”
Managing water in the Sierra is always a balancing act. Too much stored water can be risky if heavy spring storms arrive, while releasing too much too early could leave the District short later.
“When snowpack is low and reservoirs are high, it forces you to think long‑term,” Larsen explained. “This year looks stable, but next year depends on end of year carryover storage and what the winter will produce. Our job is to make sure we’re prepared for a range of outcomes.”
Larsen and his team monitor forecasts daily, coordinate releases, and calculate how much water can be safely carried into the next year. Their goal is to ensure the system can continue to supply foothill communities regardless of what the mountains deliver.
“Water management isn’t just about storing water,” he said. “It’s about timing and knowing when to hold it, when to move it, and how to protect the supply for the future.”
Reading the Mountains: The March Snow Survey
On Feb. 26, District hydrographers completed their March snow survey on snow courses at different elevations.
“The snowpack is the real story for the year ahead,” said Ashley Vander Meer, NID Senior Hydrographer. “It determines how much water will flow down to the foothills in the warmer months.”
The measurements give NID a clear picture of how much water is stored in the mountains and help refine runoff forecasts for spring and summer.
Overall, the most recent survey found the snowpack is 65 percent of the historical average, with an average snow water equivalent (SWE) of 18.4 inches. Historically, the average SWE for this time of year is 28.1 inches.
In the recent survey, English Mountain (7,100 ft) recorded 54.4 inches of snow containing 28.9 inches of water, while Bowman Reservoir (5,650 ft) measured 29.6 inches of snow with 11.3 inches of water content.
With the snowpack running light, NID is now using the survey data to update spring runoff projections, adjust storage targets, and fine-tune release schedules. These decisions help protect downstream communities while preserving as much water as possible for the year ahead.
A Century of Water Management
For more than a century, NID has managed water from the Sierra to the foothills with precision and foresight. Its staff continuously monitors conditions, plans for varying weather patterns, and adjusts operations to ensure the community has a reliable water supply — even in unusual years like this one.
“People can trust that we are watching the numbers and making decisions based on expertise and experience,” said Chip Close, NID Director of Operations. “Our job is to take the water that starts in the Sierra and make sure it gets where it’s needed, now and in the future.”
Looking ahead, water managers will continue to watch the snowpack and forecasts closely. While the reservoirs provide a buffer this year, the amount of snow in the Sierra will determine how much water can be carried over into next year.
For now, residents can be confident that the District’s long-standing approach and careful planning are keeping water flowing reliably from the mountains to the communities that depend on it.
This article appears in NID.
