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<br />COLORADO BASIN <br /> <br />Basinwide Conditions Assessment <br />The SWSI value for the month was 2.3. The Natural <br />Resources Conservation Service reports that February 1 <br />snowpack is 1220/0 of normal. Flow at the gaging station <br />Colorado River near Dotsero was 2014 cfs, as compared to <br />the long-term average of 995 cfs. Storage in Green Mountain, <br />Ruedi, and Williams Fork reservoirs totaled 1220/0 of normal <br />as of the end of January. <br /> <br />Outlook <br />Total Colorado River Basin precipitation levels <br />increased considerably during the month of January with <br />heavy snowfall throughout the month. This occurred despite <br />warmer/drier forecasts associated with the current La Nina <br />cooler Pacific Ocean water temperatures. Basin-wide <br />precipitation levels increased to 121 percent from 107 <br />percent on January 1 st. The majority of upper-basin sites <br />currently register well over 100 percent of average. Ruedi <br />and Green Mountain Reservoir releases have been increased <br />accordingly to open storage space for anticipated above <br />average run-off. <br /> <br />Administrative/Manaqement Concerns <br />The Shoshone power facility, shut down early last <br />summer due to penstock rupture, is schedule to resume <br />operation on April 18th. <br /> <br />Public Use Impacts <br />Construction of a whitewater park on the Colorado <br />River in West Glenwood Springs continues with completion <br />scheduled late next month. A warming and subsequent <br />anchor ice release created a "large" ice floe on the Roaring <br />Fork River in early January. Surprisingly, no structural bridge <br />damage was reported and the people fishing the river <br />received advanced warning. <br /> <br />Feb-08 <br /> <br />CD...ORAD'J BASIN SNSI HISTORY <br /> <br />I- <br />W <br />S <br /> <br /> <br />W <br />::J <br />....J <br /><C <br />> 0 <br />>< <br />w <br />o <br />z <br />- -1 <br /> <br />>- <br />0:: <br />o <br />-2 <br /> <br />-3 <br /> <br />-4 <br />Jan-99 Jart-OO Jan-D1 Jan-D2 JaI1-03 Jan-04 Jal1-05 Jan-06 Jal1-07 Jal1-OO <br /> <br />rvDNTH / YEAR <br /> <br />COLrnADO RIVER NR DOTSERO, FLOW BY WATER YEAR <br /> <br />600,000 <br /> <br /> <br />Q3 500,000 <br />Q) <br />LL <br />cb <br />~ 400,000 <br /> <br />S~ <br />o <br />Li 300,000 <br />w <br />> <br />i= <br />:s 200,000 <br />:J <br />~ <br />:J <br />o 100,000 <br /> <br />o <br />O:i <br /> <br />Nov <br /> <br />Dee <br /> <br />Jan <br /> <br />Feb <br /> <br />rvlarch <br /> <br />-----8-- WET (1984) <br /> <br />~ DRY (2002) <br /> <br />---fr-- A VG <br /> <br />-*2008 <br /> <br />REPRESENTATIVE RESERVOI RS <br /> <br />90,000 <br /> <br /> <br />80,000 <br /> <br />70,000 <br /> <br />Q3 <br />~ 60,000 <br />U <br />co <br />ai 50,000 <br />0) <br />co <br />a 40,000 <br />Q) <br />~ 30,000 <br />:J <br /> <br />20,000 <br /> <br />10,000 <br /> <br />Green I'vbuntain <br /> <br />Ruedi <br /> <br />Williams Fork <br /> <br />III!IAvg. 1/31 Contents <br /> <br />m11 /31 /08 Contents <br /> <br />7 <br />