| Summary: | The capacity of the atmosphere to hold moisture is largely governed by its temperature. Warm summertime air can hold enough moisture to allow a thunderstorm to generate several inches of rainfall in a short period of time, whereas cold arctic air from the Canadian prairies can scarcely support any precipitation. As such, the warm season accounts for more than three-quarters of the state's total annual precipitation. Depending on the season, the total water contained in the atmosphere above North Dakota ranges from about 350,000 acre-feet in the winter to 5.5 million acre-feet in the summer. A vast majority of the water passes through the state, borne by winds aloft. On any given day, nature converts a small fraction of the available water to clouds and/or precipitation. Western Area Water Supply Project Moving Forward As the oil industry continues to grow in the northwest portion of North Dakota, so does the need for water development projects to support that growth, both for drilling processes and a growing workforce. The general purpose of the Western Area Water Supply Project (WAWS) is to develop a regional water supply system that will deliver Missouri River water from the Williston Regional Water Treatment Plant to Western Area Water Supply Project � Existing Transmission Lines 2011 Improvements � WTP/lntake Expansion/Improvements � Existing Reservoir � 2011 Reservoir 3 2012 Reservoir . Existing Member Depots in Operation . Future WAWSA Depots 528 2013-2015 North Dakota Blue Book
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