<br />National Waler Summar)' 19B8-B9-Floods and Droughts: COLORADO 207
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<br />COl.ORADO
<br />Floods and Droughts
<br />
<br />("IIIllad.,', 1ll,'unlailHHI' Inr;llll .ull1 1l11<1I;llilud~ IIlICrll't-
<br />r"mm.'Ill,.1 1<11:<111"" 100'ull 1I1 il ,1IH~f'C ;111.1 ctlltll'ln dUllall', \"",,
<br />IlIr,' tur Jlll't:ipllalioll 'lOlll,', frolll rile" Pa,'irk 0":<:<111. thl' Atlantic
<br />Un,"Ill, ;m.! rhl' (j..11 01 \k\lrn. I'llh:tlMli"!l' in rhe domin;tI11I'rc-
<br />.:ipllalion pOIll.'m, h,TH" I\',ullnl ill "'WH.' l1'''Hl, .ltllllnn~.durJliot1
<br />drnughh. '\l1l1u;t1 rr"l-.:rty d<lll1ag<, Irolll n"..d I""," 111 Colorad..
<br />a\("r;l~"" 'lh.'ul ...]~ 1l1l1l1l'1l. Cumul;uih' 11,....1 1\"....., 'Illrr '1.IlC'h.."o,j
<br />in 1i\7harl:l"IIIl1<Llcdll,tx'aht'UI)I.7hllh'1Il. Ihcnu.qd"\';I'I;lIIIlj,!
<br />n....d,,,tlhi'n'lllul) 11lh:m,,"ltolaIJamagc,,<,rl'ttll'Junl' l'If..o;
<br />11....d, 111111., S"ulh Pl,tlle ,1I1.1/\rl.al1"l.. Rlh'r "a,m,. nw,c Il,HHh
<br />....nl.the fl',ulLl,r inl"ll'" r,"nf;i11 f"r'~'\l"r,ll d;l)" lullu\lin!! ~ \1...1
<br />'Ilrlll~, 'trll~ of lh\' 1l1\',,'l.lr\'tl pI..,ll di~h;lfg...' had r~'l,"urr...m:... III
<br />lcrv<lh Ihal\',n'l'lkd 11M) year'. Th\' lIlml ,\'\l"rl' 11"'00.1 in Colurado
<br />,illl'l' an"Ul IllOll. III h'rm, of 10""[ hie. \la' lhalor Jul~ .11-
<br />,\U!!U" I. Iln('.l.n lhl' Big Thl.rnl"lllll(l\er. Thi, Il'l..d \1<1' cau'\'ll
<br />hy.m imcn\C.ltll.<llil<'d lhun,kr,l..nnlhal I;I'lcd a kilo hour, and re-
<br />,uhl.t!m 1-1-1 ,!l',llh, ;lnd....\'I 1111111,,11 1ll1ulal darnil~C.
<br />"Ill" fnur 1ll;IJ"r Color;uln dwughb of Ihi, l'Cnlur)'. ,I' ,kler-
<br />mined horn p.:rio.1- of g...nnillly k" lh;m i1\l"rilgl' 'lre;lI11tl,,1lo \ul-
<br />uml". on'urrl.J dunng I'I,W-t!. 1'1-1<1..57. 1":'i!ol-7U. ilnlllt17h-K!,
<br />TII\."l' ,In'u~hl' ""...rl' 'lal~'""id.. ilIHI had r\'nlfTl.tK~' illlef"<lI, grl'ill.'r
<br />Ihan !.~ )C;lr,.
<br />F1llu.1-,H1dJroughbdlrel'llyalll-l'l,urlan'-lloiller<juahIYhc-
<br />l',mw"llh\'l1u,hinl!-,'I'n'11lamin,lI1blnhllh"'lr...allhlluringno....l,
<br />,lI11llh,'lal'l uf,lilulion.luringlln'ughh_ ,\I"'.lhc Iran'him... for
<br />l,"Ulllanllll,lIll,i'('1Il\ld.:r;lhIYllcne.I\clldurlll!!Ill.'fiull'11Ihighll0"",
<br />A, a r~'\ul1 "I' lh...,~' dln'h. 'llt,n fi,hl"ril" g...tll'r,lll) arl' ,ul\\.r.....l)
<br />allnl.',t, Ilohi\'h in IUfll alkl'h InurNIl. an imp"n,ull mdu'lr) In
<br />Col..rado,
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<br />MEXlCO
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<br />Tlw("..loLlll"\\/al.'rC,,n\I'l>';Illo11 B"<IflLny SI,II\"I,UUle.i,
<br />re'l",mink f"r tl,......I-pl.ll1l11);Ul;lg~.I11..t1l. indu,hng (<,,-,rllin;llioll "I
<br />Ihe :";lllun,11 F1(1"d hl\ur;IlK'e Program. TIll" Otlke 01 the Slal~'
<br />Engllwn;lI1dlhe:\<llu'nalv..-l.;IIIll'fSCf'<Il..l'l'....r;I!<.;I'I;rle\lid...n,"...I-
<br />wilfning ~plellll'On\l'll11g ,,1;1 Ilelw"rl "I 7X ,.111'lhl~',llllh.tl
<br />'Irl'allln"\I-g~!!lI1!! 'lalU'n. Thl' ,),lell1 aUh'IlWIII-;Jlly .llerl' ley
<br />1.....r'ol1llcl iftl,"...lillg i'l1wn;lnk.
<br />Th~' Col"r;lllll Dn'u~lll Rl"I"l1l,e 1'1,111. y,hilh \1;1' nC,llnJ ill
<br />19X1lIlfl.'I"'Il.....h"lgn'llldnlllghl.l:On'I'I'I'1;1I1;1\'ol."Ill,.11Iph;I'"
<br />,mil ;I r~"p"n'e pJ!;I\e, In lh~' ;1"e"llll'1I1 I'lhl\~'. \. an"ll\ Ilo ,ll~'r'
<br />a\'all.lhihly irhh~'al"r' arc fl.\Le....eJ IlHlIllhly. 11 drnU!1-hll't,ndilu,n\
<br />arellldll:<I11.d.lher..'T"-,n.....ph;l\ei,Kh\.atcJIl'e\.;i1ualelhcdr"ughl
<br />ill!1-rCal<:rlklall
<br />
<br />Color.uli>" 1I11llblil111k tIl11'w'r,('<'nllnenl,llI0.:alion ;uul lllgh.
<br />allllmk IIHlunl;linou' lnTallll't'lTlhml' I" l'mdun: ;I\'"mpk\ .md ,h-
<br />\'l"r'l'dmlat\.'. Annual prn'lpualu,n rang..., from anolll 7 Indll" 111
<br />,0ulh-n'mr;11 ('I'h'r,Hlo h' ,1""111 h(1 inrll\" Itl Ihl' t1lt'unlain, e;l'l of
<br />SI~'am","ll Spring, (1J.....,h.n ami 1l1h\'f'. I'JX-I. p. II.
<br />Sea'l'tl.ll. lar!1-1'-'ol'ak alttH"pherk l'lfl'ul.lIn.n inl,'rad\ ....llh
<br />lh... l1lounl<linou\ I"T"-'gral,hy Illllft...hh:l: lhr~'l' m'lJol' pf,'(il'llilln'n
<br />p;,lll'm, inlhl' Stall' (lll!- I), Thl' mll,l imT"-'rl,Ull "r Ih...,c. in lcnn'
<br />01 wal<:r r\""UflC'.I, Ihe midllo Illl~'f p'Ill<'fIl_ Thmul!hllllllhl' WHncr.
<br />lhepflll1'II)""llfl'...,,,fllHlI,rurl:Ml'fn'Ill;lI,,,'II.tl1\lftll1lllll'I';I..:ifi\'
<br />(J..'\';U1 lh,ll are lhfel:ll'd h) lhl'IIt,I'lr J~'''lle;lm lilli' (""Iur,"l" h"lll
<br />1111' nnnhllo..:'I. \\l',l. ,HId ,,,ulh\\\"I, Thl"~' airm;l"~'\ ;llt,'mald)'
<br />l,"ullltl.' Ilo ilh. fel'lal't~. nr ar... le-
<br />pl"l.~.t1 hy ttrl~'r. nllllllll'nl,ll
<br /><lIOn,".....', 11l(""I"radn.lh...m;IIOl
<br />r;llIgc' "Ilh... R'll.'l)' ~ltlUlll,Il11\.
<br />Whll,"hal\:lln\.'nledprim,mlyl1<1I1h,
<br />".ulh. pll',...nl a 101l1l1llank nil-
<br />'l<1d... h' "''''lw;lrJ-1l1l1\'in!1- IUllI'-
<br />lurl'. A'lhe,url,I,.fl:....lh.fl\Cmcr
<br />Ihc llU>UI11;tin,. a ,"h'I;UlIl,,1 UfO'
<br />pilphil' (UmpuIW11l1\ ;I<hktllu II....
<br />W11l11'r pr...rlpllalinn p.lll\.rn. In
<br />gCllef;!!. ""illln pfl"il1ll'llilltl 1Il-
<br />He;t'I"'lealhl)lloilhaI1UUlklloc'l
<br />III lh~' ('nllllll"'lll,ll Dl\'llle ;Jlld de.
<br />(fl';I\l', ,h,lrply e;l'l nt Ihetlivllk.
<br />For tnO\llllltw Il1gherm'llltll'lI11\
<br />;mtl f"rl",n'l,1 ('ol,.rad,"'\le\lem
<br />\'alleY'.Ilo1l\l,'r I' lhl' \\~'Il",1 p;ul 01
<br />lhe y"';H. ""hl're.l' ~.;tq ..I Ihe
<br />tnuulltain'.'lre,l,rl',-cIH'n'I)'hl1lt:
<br />pfl'~-ll1ll;Uu.n 1tl""1Il1er_ '''''I,'llhc
<br />\I'llIl\'rpfn'I!lllalll,nlnllwll"'Ull'
<br />l;tin, remain' <I' ,KrUIllUI<lII'.!
<br />,nllllol1;l.lullllltllelllnghcglll'ln
<br />Ih,:'pring,Tlw\lIIlI"fl'aIWmrOIl'
<br />InI>1I1l" 11U"llu 'l..leWhk lon"l'
<br />,1I1l!,url;ll-c.",al\'r\ul'l'lle,.c\lcll
<br />lhuU!1-h \Un'I;H11i<l1 ,tlOwlall I'
<br />Iinllled hI hl!1-h-altllllde arl'a, Ihal
<br />l'l'll'lllllll'k"lh;llll:'i 1,,'rn'Ill"1
<br />111l'Sl;IlI",lan.!are,l.
<br />
<br />GENERAL CLIMATOLOGY
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<br />NE9IlA$KA
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<br />KANSAS
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<br />Land-recycled
<br />moisture
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<br />Figure 1. PrinCipal sources and patterns of delivery of moiSlure ,nto Colorado, Slle of arrow
<br />imphes relative contrrbul,on of mOlslure from source shown. ISou.co DaTa from [)o'-'!IlitS R CIiI'" at'lll
<br />Arnj'r:o.Jlil<Je. W,scons.n Goolog,cala"o Nalwal H'5lO'V SUtVtlvJ
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