<br />INTERMOUNTAIN WEST CLIMATE SUMMARY, JUNE 2006
<br />
<br />Colorado Water Availability June 2006
<br />
<br />Source: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
<br />
<br />According to the NRCS Colorado State Basin Outlook
<br />Report, May was the second consecutive month of warm
<br />and dry conditions across Colorado, resulting in a worsen-
<br />ing of the state's \vater supply outlook. Statewide June 1
<br />snowpack was down to 26% of average with basinwide
<br />totals ranging from 6% of average in the San Juan, Ani-
<br />mas, Dolores, and San Miguel basins to 51 % of average
<br />in the Arkansas Basin. Snow water equivalent (SWE) as a
<br />percent of normal as of June 13 \vas either 0% or bet\veen
<br />o and 40% at most sites (Figure 7a). Only a handful of
<br />sites were at or above average.
<br />The state's Water Availability Task Force (WATF)
<br />reported after its May 16 meeting that drought conditions
<br />existed in the South Platte, Arkansas, and Rio Grande
<br />Ri ver Basins and parts of the south\vest. Although high
<br />elevation snowpack in May helped delay the start of drier
<br />conditions, early melt, low streamflow and lack of pre-
<br />cipitation is raising significant concerns, particularly about
<br />agricultural impacts and wildfire. Those impacts are already
<br />being felt. State officials shut down 440 wells in Weld,
<br />Morgan and Adams counties under a state la\v requiring that
<br />wells be turned off in dry years to satisfy higher priority
<br />rights, leading to upwards of millions of dollars of losses.
<br />Numerous small \vildland fires have been reported up and
<br />do\vn the Front Range.
<br />USGS 7-day average streamflow observations compared
<br />to historical streamflow graph (Figure 7b), most of Colora-
<br />do's rivers are running in the normal category (25th - 75th
<br />percentile) for this time of year. Some stations on the White
<br />River in the northwest part of the state and on the Dolores,
<br />Animas, and San Juan Rivers in the southwest are belo\v
<br />normal. Flows are extremely low (5% or less of average) on
<br />the Arkansas River at Cherry Creek and Fountain Creek, as
<br />well as at the Nebraska and Kansas state lines.
<br />June Surface Water Supply Index (SWSI) figures were
<br />not yet available as of press time.
<br />
<br />Notes
<br />Figure 7a shows the SWE as a percent of normal (aver-
<br />age) for SNOTEL sites in Colorado.
<br />The "7-day average streamflow" map (Figure 7b) shows
<br />the average streamflow conditions for the past 7 days com-
<br />pared to the same period in past years. By averaging over
<br />the past 7 days, the values on the map are more indicative
<br />of longer-term streamflow conditions than either the "Real-
<br />time streamflow" or the "Daily streamflow" maps. If a station
<br />is categorized in "near normal" or 25th - 75th percentile
<br />class, it means that the streamflows are in the same range
<br />as 25-750/0 of past years. Note that this "normal" category
<br />represents a wide range of flows. Only stations having at
<br />least 30 years of record are used. Areas containing no dots
<br />
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<br />Figure 7a. Currrent snow water equivalent (SWE) as a percent
<br />of normal for SNOTEL sites in Colorado as of June 13, 2006.
<br />This is orovisional data. For current SNOTEL data and plots
<br />of specific sites, see http://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/snow/snow.cgi
<br />or http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/.
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<br />High >900/0 75-890/0 25-750/0 10-240/0 <100/0 Low Not
<br />Ranked
<br />
<br />Figure 7b. Seven-day average streamflow conditions for points
<br />in Colorado as of 6/11/06.
<br />
<br />indicate locations where flow data for the current day are temporarily
<br />unavailable. The data used to produce this map are provisional and
<br />have not been reviewed or edited. They may be subject to significant
<br />change.
<br />
<br />On the Web
<br />- For current maps of SWE, visit: http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/gis/snow.html.
<br />- For current streamflow information from USGS, visit: http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/.
<br />- For the current SWSI map, go to: http://www.co.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/fcst/state/current/monthly/maps_graphs/index.html.
<br />- For monthly NRCS reports on water supply conditions & forecasts for major CO river basins, visit: http://www.co.nrcs.
<br />usda.gov/snow/snow/snow_all.html and click on "Basin Outlook Reports."
<br />- The Colorado Water Availability Task Force's next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 22, 2006, 10:00am-Noon,
<br />Colorado Division of Wildlife Headquarters, Big Horn Room, 6060 Broadway, Denver, CO. Agendas and minutes of this and
<br />previous meetings are available at: http://cwcb.state.co.us/Conservation/Drought/taskForceAgendaMinPres.htm.
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<br />RECENT CONDITIONS 110
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