WSP12943

• File Number: 8040.800
• Description: Water Resources for Colorado
• State: CO
• Date: 4/1/2003
• Author: US Dept of Agriculture - Natural Resoruces Conservation Service
• Title: Colorado Basin Outlook Report April 1, 2003
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Data

UPPER RIO GRANDE RIVER BASIN
as of April 1, 2003

Mountain Snow pack- (Inches)

-*-Current -6-Average
___Maximum -+-Mlnlmum

20
"
-
c IS
.
;;
.~
,
"
w
" 10
~
.
;:
5

25

o
Jan

Fob

Mar

Apr

May

.Dased on selei;(cd stations

Precipitation- C./. of average)

I_Monthly DYear-lo-dale I

140
120
. 100
'"
.
"
.
> 80
..
-
0
-
c
.
u
~
.
n.

20

Oct Nov Dee Jan Fob Mar Apr May

Snowpack mcasurements in some locations in the Rio Grande Basin have improved significantly
over the month of March, but much of the basin received little or no additional snow during the
month causing an extremely variable snowpack throughout the basin. The basin-wide April I
snowpack measurements are at 76% of average, which is only 3% of average higher than last
month's measurements. The spotty coverage of snowfall has measurements ranging from only
40% of average in the Alamosa Creek Watershed, to 134% of average in the Culebra and
Trinchera Creek watershcds. Prccipitation was I J I % of average during March, and the water
year total is now 88% of average. Reservoirs in the basin contain only 61 % of their average
storage amount for this time of year, which is only 80% of the storage amount there was last year
at this time. Most of the forecasts remain much below average, ranging from only 49% of
average at La Jara Creek near Capulin, to 70% of average at Saguache Creek near Saguache. As a
striking contrast, Culebra, Costilla and Trinchera creeks forecasts are near to above average.