Caribou County Water Intelligence Brief

September 7, 2026 | Free-Tier Edition

Situation Summary

Bear River flows are falling across all monitored points in the basin, with the Bear River at Pescadero registering 775 cfs and declining — a signal that late-season tightening is underway for Caribou County irrigators managing final irrigation needs heading into harvest. Snowpack contributions are effectively zero at this point in the calendar, and late-season supply is now driven entirely by reservoir releases, baseflow, and upstream delivery management. Reservoir storage data, 7-day forecast details, and delivery reliability analysis for Blackfoot Reservoir and Bear Lake are available in the full brief.

Snowpack Conditions

All eight SNOTEL stations reporting for Caribou County's watershed area show conditions consistent with normal late-season meltout. Seven of the eight stations report 0.0" snow water equivalent (SWE), and the remaining two show only trace values: Emigrant Summit at 0.2" SWE with 1.0" depth, and Giveout at 0.4" SWE with 0.0" depth — likely instrument or residual readings rather than meaningful snowpack. Stations at Bear River RS, Garden City Summit, Slug Creek Divide, USU Doc Daniel, Franklin Basin, and Tony Grove Lake all read 0.0" SWE. Because no percent-of-median figure is reported for any station, the September 6 median SWE at these sites is also 0.0" — meaning current conditions represent normal seasonal meltout, not a below-normal snowpack signal for this date.

Historical context: the 2026 season's snowpack melted out approximately 4–6 weeks ahead of the historical median meltout date, driven by an anomalous March heat wave. That early departure shifted the effective irrigation supply window earlier and compressed the season's total snowmelt contribution — but that event is now background, and no new snowpack is expected to develop until late October at the earliest.

Streamflow Conditions

Flows across all Bear River Basin gauges are falling or stable at late-season levels, consistent with the end of the irrigation season.

Bear River Basin:

Blackfoot River Basin:

Portneuf River Basin:

Salt River Basin:

The dominant pattern across gauges is falling flows on the Bear River mainstem with stable or low readings on tributaries — a normal late-season configuration, but one that leaves little margin for extended irrigation demand beyond current schedules.

Seasonal Guidance

Subscribe for the full brief including reservoir storage, weather forecasts, depletion analysis, and detailed operational recommendations.

Data Sources: SNOTEL data through September 6, 2026; USGS streamflow data through September 7, 2026

Data Current As Of: Idaho Department of Water Resources (Eastern Regional Office in Pocatello, (208) 525-7161, for Bear River basin counties)

Important Disclaimers: This brief provides automated analysis for informational purposes only. Specific numerical claims have not been independently verified. Consult official sources including your local water district, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (for Blackfoot Reservoir), and PacifiCorp/Bear River Commission (for Bear Lake storage) for regulatory decisions and water rights administration.