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<br />
<br />GUNNISON BASIN
<br />
<br />Basinwide Conditions Assessment
<br />The SWSI vallie of 0.9 indicates that for May the
<br />basin water supplies. were near normal. The Natural
<br />Resources Conservation Service reports that June 1
<br />snowpack is 18% of normal. Flow at the gaging station
<br />Uncompahgre River, near Ridgway was 425 cfs, as
<br />compared to the, long-term average of 327 cfs. Storage in
<br />Taylor Park, Crawford, and Fruitland reservoirs totaled 111 %
<br />of normal as 'of the end 'of May.
<br />
<br />Outlook' '
<br />Surface water conditions in Division 4 continue to be
<br />significantly drier than nbrmal, with total runoff projections of
<br />only 65% of the long-term average. The areas feeling the
<br />biggest impact were the East and Taylor Rivers and the
<br />Grand Mesa. ,Surprisingly, most of the Grand Mesa
<br />reservoirs filled. Only the larger ones on the west end, like
<br />Island Lake, Deep Ward, and Eggleston, did not fill. This
<br />resulted in a loss of 2800 acre-feet of storage on Ward and
<br />Kiser creeks. Converseiy, Surface Creek and leroux Creek
<br />reservoirs filled. Irrigators in the North Fork Valley, have
<br />started using reservoir water earlier than normal this year,
<br />and expect to use most of the supply this year.
<br />
<br />Administrative/Manaaement Concerns
<br />The Uncompahgre and Gunnison Rivers peaked
<br />anywhere from one to two weeks earlier than normal,
<br />reflecting the abnormally warm temperatures in May. The
<br />impact on irrigators was; that those with junior water rights
<br />did not get their usual allotment of water during the peak
<br />runoff. The one bright ~pot to this was in the lake Fork of
<br />the Gunnison drainage, where snowpack levels had been
<br />130% of normal much of the winter. The runoff continued at
<br />a relatively high and steady rate, providing an ample supply
<br />for irrigation.
<br />Reservoir storage in the basin was variable, with the
<br />mid-sized reservoirs, doing well. Paonia Reservoir filled, and
<br />Ridgway Reservoir could have, but for operational
<br />constraints. Blue Mesa and Taylor Park Reservoirs are
<br />projected to be some ten and six vertical feet short of filling,
<br />respectively.
<br />
<br />Public Use Impacts
<br />None.
<br />
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