BOARD0215

• Board Meeting Date: 5/20/2002
• Description: OWCDP Section - Colorado Drought & Water Supply Assessment
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

~ COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD
Department of Natural Resources
.
Bill Owens, Governor
.reg WaIcher, DNR Executive Director
od Kuharich, CWCB Director

April 2002

Gunnison River Basin Drought Impact Fact Sheet
Water Division 4

Reservoir Storage
Most southern Grand Mesa reservoirs are at 20-25
percent of normal storage. Fruit growers Reservoir
will not fill for the first time since 1977, and is
likely to be nearly empty by the end of June.
Aspinall Unit (Blue Mesa, Morrow Point, Crystal
Reservoirs) is currently releasing from storage
rather than filling; almost unheard of for this time
of year. Irrigation reservoirs on San Miguel
drainage (Gurley, Lilylands, Cone) will not fill.
Taylor Park is at 62 percent of capacity and
unlikely to store much more water.
Use of Storage
Reservoir storage will likely be used heavily
~uring the early part of the growing season. Some
...,m maximize the benefit by using "block delivery" where large releases are made periodically, followed by
no releases for several days or weeks. We anticipate most of the smaller irrigation reservoirs will be drained
by the end of the irrigation season, except for small amounts of livestock carryover. Municipal supplies are
generally adequate to satisfy this year's demands, although some lawn watering restrictions could occur.
Streamflow
Flow levels are significantly below normal, as indicated by the Gunnison at Whitewater (Grand Junction)
gage, which reads 32 percent of normal.
Water Administration
The call status for the Gunnison Basin reflects the desperately dry conditions. Administrative calls began
around early April. A Gunnison Tunnel call occurred on April 181h, the first time in nearly 50 years. Smaller
tributaries typically have calling rights in the 1880's or 1890's. Surface Creek near Cedaredge is down to
their number five priority on the stream. Additional calls are anticipated, with a Redlands Canal call at Grand
Junction having the most impact. It would place the entire Gunnison Basin under administration. The
Uncompahgre and San Miguel could be on call within a few days.
Comparison to Prior Years
In district 40 on the Grand Mesa, this year the storage levels are lower, but the stream levels slightly higher.
The Gunnison Basin snowpack in April was 5.4 inches this year, compared with 6.1 inches in 1977. An
Upper Gunnison irrigator estimates he will only get one-quarter of his normal irrigation supply. As a result,
many ranchers are considering selling their cattle now rather than attempting to feed or water them later this
summer.

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For more information about this or other water resource topics, please contact the CWCB at:
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721, Denver, CO 80203
Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone] Internet: www.cwcb.state.co.us