FLOOD11139

• County: Statewide
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Flood Task Force Summary - 3/14/06
• Date: 3/14/2006
• Prepared For: FTF
• Prepared By: CWCB
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Flood Task Force Meeting Materials

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Colorado needing repair. This year we didn't add any new sites, but are working with
communities and will hopefully be putting in new ones this year.

lenperature for FlC01 (10-01-2005 - 03-13-2006)

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10/16

10/31

11/15

11/30

12/15

12/30

01/14

01/29

02/13

02/28

10/01

Date

Generated b~ the Colorado Climate Center

. Colorado Climate Center CSU (Nolan Doesken) - Nolan showed several graphs of
temperature readings from October through March from stations around the State. In general,
there was a December cold wave and then a very warm January through early February. There
was a short cold wave in February and then it warmed up again.
. On the western slope, at Cortez and Grand Junction, they didn't have as warm of winter as other
parts of the State. As far as climate, we had a statewide extreme warm spell in January, before
the real warm spell that ended February.
. The Oklahoma & New Mexico drought is shared by the south plains of Colorado. The storm
track came across Oregon not California.
. Nolan is in charge of the CoCoRas project that has brings in over 800 rain gage reports regularly.
Information about it is at http://www.cocorahs.org/

Division of Water Resources SWSI Reoort (Keith Van der Horst). Keith reviewed the SWSI report
basin by basin that is posted at http://water.state.co.us/pubs/swsi.asp.
. South Platte - has 10 years of data in the graphs and it looks good this year. The South Platte
stream gage near Kersey is 82% of average. In winter the plains reservoirs are filling; they leave
space and then in the spring they top off. Most of the reservoirs will fill this spring.
. Arkansas - The basin water supplies are slightly above normal and the good numbers are due to
high snowpack in northern part of the main-stem of the Arkansas. At Portland the cumulative
flow is 170% of average. John Martin Reservoir is low this year; it either has water or it doesn't.
F or flood control it filled up and did its job, in the 1980s and 1990s. Annual fluctuations from
winter storage and spring releases so this reservoir experiences large swings.
. Rio Grande - the SWSI numbers are low and it's similar to the 2002 extreme drought. There
has been a gradual drop in flows since October and this will continue based on snow in San Juan
Mountains. The Rio Grande reservoir is not a major source of water for a lot of water users; a lot
of water use is based on direct flow water rights
. Gunnison, U ncompaghre - The water commissioner down there reports that there is not a lot of
low elevation snowpack this year. Gunnison basin reservoirs are doing well. Blue Mesa will fill
this year.
. Colorado - it has been wet in 2006 due to good snowpack. The Colorado River near Dotsero is
right above Glenwood canyon and reported 930 cfs; the long-term average is 945cfs. Green
Mountain and Williams Fork reservoirs are doing well.
. Yam pa/White - right now the water supply numbers are good because of snowpack.

Flood Protection . Water Project Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation Planning