As winter gives way to the vibrant season of spring, the American West's mountainous landscapes come alive with melting snow. But what if that rush of water is not solely from recent snowmelt?

Recent groundbreaking research reveals that the dynamic relationship between melting snow and spring streams is far more intricate than previously thought. Surprisingly, less than half of the water flowing through these majestic streams originates from fresh snow. This revelation could revolutionize how we forecast water resources in the region!

Published in the prestigious journal *Communications Earth & Environment*, the study employs cutting-edge methods using a radioactive hydrogen isotope called tritium to trace the age of water across 42 catchments in the western U.S. The results? Much of the flow we see during spring consists of water that has been sitting in the ground for an astonishing average of 5.7 years!

A Hidden Water Source