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<br />Once again, the month of April brought significant precipitation over the watershed. A total at
<br />3.21 inches of precipitation, or 169 percent of average were reported. The high precipitation and the
<br />higher temperatures of the spring finally contribute to an increase on the inflow into Lake Estes. The
<br />o total inflow was reported at 3,400 acre-feet, or 148 percent of the 30-year average. May 1 snowpack
<br />-) water content measurements increased to 90 percent of average and the April-July most probable runoff
<br />.... forecast volume was increased to 65,000 acre-feel.
<br />4')
<br />
<br />::; Once again, as in the previous two months, May was a wet month, with a total precipitation of
<br />2.84 inches, or 114 percent of average. The Big Thompson River inflow, in excess of the minimum
<br />required outflow below Lake Estes, was diverted as skim water or priority water through 01ympus
<br />Tunnel beginning May 1 and continued when Olympus Tunnel capacity was available through mid June.
<br />During water year 1998, there were 17,800 acre-feet of skim through the Olympus Tunnel, and 29,348
<br />acre-feet of skim through the Dille Tunnel for a total of 47,148 acre-feel. However, for this runoff
<br />season, 2,535 acre-feet of priority east slope water were stored in Carter Lake. No priority east slope
<br />water was transferred to Horsetooth. Operation of skim this water year was 122 percent of the 30-year
<br />average.
<br />
<br />The inflow peaked on June 3 at 633 ft3/S. Releases to the river below Olympus Dam peaked at
<br />591 ft3/s on July 2, 1998. June precipitation was 1.31 inches or 70 percent of average. Total inflow for
<br />June was estimated at 26,218 acre-feet, or 80 percent of the 30-year average.
<br />
<br />The month of July brought substantial rain to the. area, with 3.98 inches reported for the Lake Estes
<br />watershed, 182 percent of average. The inflow remained relatively high at 122 percent of average,
<br />24,700 acre-feet for the month.
<br />
<br />Total August precipitation at Lake Estes was measure at 2.60 inches, which represented 130percent of
<br />average. Total precipitation for the water year (October-September) was 21.75. inches or
<br />124 percent of average. The inflow above Lake Estes was 107,400 acre-feet for water year 1997, which
<br />was equivalent to 119 percent of the 30-year average.
<br />
<br />Estes Power Plant generation totaled 92,1 OO,OOOkilowatt-hours for the water year, 10,800,000 kilowatt-
<br />hours below the average.
<br />
<br />Carter Lake
<br />
<br />Completed in 1952 with three dams, Carter Lake has a total storage capacity of 112,200 acre-feel.
<br />Inflow of Project water to Carter Lake is from the Flatiron Pumping Plant with a capacity of up to 400
<br />~~ .
<br />
<br />Carter Lake storage content at the beginning of the water year was 65,526 acre-feet, which was well
<br />above the 30-year average of 54,440 acre-feet.
<br />
<br />Pumping to Carter Lake from Flatiron Reservoir started November 24, 1997, and continued through
<br />February 26. During that stage, a total of 54,000 acre-feet were pumped into Carter Lake. By February
<br />26, the reservoir had reached it highest storage volume of the water year, 111,475 acre-feet, with a water
<br />surface elevation of 5,758.34 feet. Pumping was resumed for a couple of weeks in June, and for 3 weeks
<br />between August and September, with sporadic periods of pumping operations in between. By the end of
<br />the water year, a total of 80,400 acre-feet had been pumped into Carter Lake. This activity consumed a
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