WSP12938

• File Number: 8040.800
• Description: Water Resources for Colorado
• State: CO
• Date: 4/1/2004
• Author: US Dept of Agriculture - Natural Resoruces Conservation Service
• Title: Colorado Basin Outlook Report April 1, 2004
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Data

ARKANSAS RIVER BASIN
as of April 1, 2004

Mountain Snowpack* (inches)

Precipitation* (% of average)

--*- Current - ---.;k-Average

____rvlaximum ~~.1inimum

'_Monthly 0Vear-to-date :
- :

18
16
14
l: 12
.:
l:
C)
iii 10
.~
~
C" 8
w
~
0
-
C'G 6
~
4
2
0
Jan Feb r,,1 ar Apr r"lay

120

100
CP
Cl 80
CIJ
~
II)
>
<(
.... 60
0
-
l:
CP
U
~
CP 40
D..
20

.
Oct Nov Dee Jan Feb Mar Apr May

o

*Based on selected srations

\Vhile February brought an increase of 14% of average to the sno\vpack measurements in the
-Arkansas Basin, l\!Iarch has countered with extremely warm, dry conditions that have driven the
sno\vpack measurements do\vn 300/0 of average from :NIarch 1 to April 1. This is one of the
largest decreases ever recorded in the month, and has caused conditions that are more
representative ofwIay 1 than April 1. 1vIeasurements throughout the basin, as a whole, are 60% of
average, and range from only 28% of average in the Purgatoire \Vatershed, to 65% of average in
the Upper Arkansas \Vatershed. The precipitation during ~1arch was only 53% of average. The
water year total is now at 78% of average. \Vith all of the sno\vmelt, the reservoirs have yet to
realize any storage benefit from runoff, and the combined reservoir storage remains at only 53%
of average. The streamflow forecasts for this runoff season are far less promising than last month.
All of the forecasts are much below average, and range from only 41 % of average at the Cucharas
River near La Veta, to 77% of average on the Araknsas River at Salida.