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SOUTH PLATIE RIVER BASIN as of May 1, 2005 Mountain Snowpack* (inches) -*-Currenl -'-Average __Maximum -+-Minlmum 30 25 C 20 - - 0 . .. ~ 15 , 0- w ~ ~ M 10 ~ 5 o Jan Feb Mar Apt May Jun *Based on Sclccll:d slalions Precipitation. (% of average) I_Monthly DYear.lo-dale I 120 100 . .. 80 M ~ . > '" - 60 0 - 0 . u ~ . 40 0- 20 o . Oct Nov Dee Jan Fob Mar Apr May What looked like the beginnings of the spring meltout quickly turned into a boost for the snowpack as a very wet last week of April helped preserve some moisture in an otherwise dry South Platte River basin. The increase, however, was not enough to push snow levels to the 30 year average on May I. Despite the precipitation late in April, snowpack levels in the South Platte drainage are 77% of the May I average, down from 84% of average lasl month. Snow levels in all sub-basins of the South Platte drainage remain below average and range from 59% of average on the St. Vrain to 96% of average on Boulder Creek. Late April precipitation brought precipitation for the month up to about average, while precipitation since October I remained below average al 88% of average but up from 85% of average last month. Streamtlows on the South Platte should be a retleetion of the low snowpack levels. This coming spring and summer should see tlows as low as 60% of average at the Antero Reservoir inlet to about 87% of average on the Cache la Poudre at the canyon mouth, Boulder Creek near Orodell, and South Boulder Creek near Eldorado Springs. Good news on the South Platte is that reservoir storage remains near average at 98% of average and 118% of storage for this time laSI year.