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<br />UPPER RIO GRANDE BASIN <br />as of May 1, 2004 <br /> <br />Mountain Snow pack' (Inches) <br /> <br />~Currenl -*-Average <br />___Maximum -+-Mlnlmum <br /> <br />25 <br /> <br /> <br /> 20 <br />C <br />J <br />c 15 <br />.!! <br />. <br />,~ <br />, <br />" <br />w <br />" 10 <br />. <br />- <br />. <br />:: <br /> 5 <br /> <br />o <br />Jan <br /> <br />Fob <br /> <br />Ma, <br /> <br />Apr <br /> <br />May <br /> <br />-Based on se1ccled stations <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Precipitation- (% of average) <br /> <br />I_Monthly DYear-(o.dale I <br /> <br /> 180 <br /> 160 <br /> 140. <br />. <br />'" 120 <br />. <br />" <br />. <br />> 100. <br />" <br />- <br />0 <br />- 80 <br />c <br />. <br />u <br />" <br />. 60 <br />Q. <br /> 40 <br /> 20 <br /> 0 <br /> Oct Nov Dee Jan Fob Ma, Apr May <br /> <br /> <br />Most of the additional snowpack accumulations received during April were centered along the <br />Sangre de Cristo Mountains, which helped to improve the May I percentages to 102% of average, <br />the highest in the statc. This year's snowpack is approaching nearly two times that measured last <br />year at this time, at 186% of those readings, April's precipitation, which was 172% of average, <br />helped to erase the effects of the dry March, allowing water year totals to recover to 104% of <br />avcrage, Reservoir storage remains in poor conditions at only 54% of the average volumcs for <br />May I. The Rio Grande Basin is the only basin in Colorado which is storing less water in <br />reservoirs than Jast year. The current volumes are 91 % of last year's. While water supplies are <br />expected to be much better that the past two years in the Rio Grande Basin, they remain <br />consistently below average, For the most part, main stem forecasts remain unchanged from last <br />month, with the only significant improvements in forecasts concentrated along those tributaries <br />/lowing from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. <br />