Two pics of the same Schuykkill Co stream.One taken on Feb 27,2011 the other last sunday Feb 26,2012.It's easy to see why we need snow during the winter.

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Jan. and Fb. had below normal rainfall. How are you vealboy, w haven't seen you on the board in ages.

They were nice today in SE PA - not to mention a bit of color. But it is scary to think how early things look like they are running. Already some of the marsh maragolds - or whatever those yellow flowers that can cover the flood plain are - are starting to burst. South facing banks.

No doubt the freestoners suffer the effects of little snow. The limestoners on the other hand, as long as there is precipitation to recharge the water table, they have flow.

Muddy was in great shape today in SCPA after the rains this week. Only 3/4 inch or so total but nice color and volume.

A "Secret Stream" in Chester County was just about perfect today!!!!!

All is well Chaz.I believe lack of any real snow this year will have a serious impact on flows this year.I fished 2 pocono streams yesterday,Hell Cr,Monroe Co and one I won't name.Both had low flow for this time of year.I've only seen flow on the nameless stream this low once,during a long summer dry spell.I'm wondering what impact lack of snow pack will have on fishing this year.

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I doubt it. Streams flows in our state have more to do with how much precipitation has fallen in the past month than anything to do with snow or "snow pack." By the time May rolls around it is the previous two weeks that matter.

I'd rather have a year with no snow and a consistent amount of rain each month than be snowed-in in February and have a drought that starts at the end of May or beginning of June.

Kev

I have been worried about what some of my streams are going to be like this season, especially after all of the flooding from last year's storms. The way the weather has been going the last few years, anything is possible. That's what worries me. We really do need the periodic rain events.

The thing about snowmelt is that it doesn't last long, I'm going to guess 1 to 3 weeks max and winter isn't when the groundwater recharge occurs, so the freestone streams don't stay up when there is no rain. The important thing is that we get some rain and it looks like adryer year so far this year. That's what I'm concerned with.

The streams are low because the lack of precipitation of all kinds. This winter has been fairly dry. It's the totally precipitation that determines stream flow, not whether to precip is in the form of rain or snow. Not enough snow pack builds up in PA to have any noticeable affect on streams later in the spring.

For as mild as this winter had been, I was kinda surprised to hear on the local news the last night, that this latest snowfall we had sunday - about 3-4 inches - put us over our average snowfall amount for the year. In the pittsburgh area anyway.

I'm not really concerned about the stream flows now either.
Look what happened just last year. After a very cold snowy winter, and a very wet spring, we ended up with a drought last summer anyway

The Swattie spiked a bit from the last few rains, but is pretty low now. I hit a little brookie stream last week and it was pretty low also. I do, however, agree that snow melt is short lived and consistent precipitation is a more important factor.

I also get the impression from the spring seeps in my area, that while the stream levels are low, groundwater seems to be in awesome shape, but I might just be way off base.

Boyer

You think the lack of "gully washers" will help IMPROVE fry hatch rates? Without large flows, the reds have less of a chance to get washed away and possibly have better YOY hatches. Just a thought.

I'm with Kev. Consistent rain rather than all or nothing is def better.

I have developed some initial concerns about water levels going into the spring; however, for the time being, it appears that the issue is mostly the surface expression of water (i.e. streams). A farmer friend of my pointed out that in a number of his fields, areas that had been dry for years developed seeps during the rain of last spring, and those areas are still wet this year. In addition, I took a look at some observation water well data for Lancaster County. Its running at normal spring time levels (or even a little bit above), although it was about a foot lower than average before the last batch of rain. I believe the effects of lack of snowpack are understated; while snow melt will runoff in the course of a few weeks, there is some amount of groundwater recharge that does occur as the base layer of snow that is contact with the earth melts and is absorbed into the ground. So, we are missing out on that recharge this year.