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Il fl~' ~ '7 1 fJ '.. ..... ./ . '- RIO GRANDE BASIN Basinwide Conditions Assessment The SWSI value :of -2.7 indicates that for January the basin water supplies were below normal. The Natural Resources Conservation Service reports that February 1 snowpack is 48% of normal, the lowest in the state. Flow at the gaging station Rio Grande near Del Norte was 166 cfs, as compared to the long-term average of 171 cfs. The Conejos River near Mogote had al!le~n flow of 36 cfs (76% of normal). Storage in Platoro, Rio Grande, f'ln,d San'ta Maria .reservoirs totaled 80% of normal as'of ,the end of January. The precipitation and average temperature in Alamosa were slightly above the historic average during January. Two significant snowstorms dropped snow on the valley floor during January causing temperatures to plummet below zero. It seems as if the valley is getting more snowfall than the mountains this winter. Outlook With the lowest basin snowpack in the state, local water administrators are warning users of a possible drought. Forecasts are predicting area stream flow in 2002 to be in therange of 40% to 61% of normal. AdministratJve/Manaoement Concerns End of the year analysis of stream flow in the upper Rio Grande Basin found the Rio Grande near Del Norte' carried 110% of the normal annual volume during 2001 and the Conejos near Mogote carried 85% of normal. The total Closed Basin Project production during 2001 was 20,255 acre-feet, of which 16.561 acre-feet were creditable delivery to the state line. This creditable delivery helps the two river systems meet Colorado's delivery obligation to New Mexico and Texas. . The provisions of the Rio Grande Compact allow Colorado to accumulate a delivery credit or debit to the downstream states. Colorado utilized a portion of its accumulated 27,000 acre-feet of delivery credit during 2001. About 10,600 acre-feet-of credit will carry over into 2002. Public Use Imoacts Outdoor activities dependent on snow depth are sUffering from the below average snowpack conditions in the mountains. w :> ;i' :> io r -2 .;! Feb-D2 ROGRPKlEIlASlNS'I'G Hsrt:Rl' .;; 5 .. 4 . . , .... -- --~ _92_________ M:NlH/~ OOOoOOl _:2fiO,OOO $ u. ~ :( 2lO,ooo ~. it 150,000 ' w ~ :5100.000 ~ ::!; ~ <.) 50,000 25,000 20,000 Gl .!! ~ 15,000 .,; c> B ~ 10,000 .0 l.ll ~ 5,000 5 RO GWce l'R IE..N:RTE. FlON BY W6.1:ER '16toR o O::L ~ Dee Feb Mri1 Pfri .m ......'M:T(1!lll7) --1Rl'(1~ --AVG , -*-2002 . . REPRESENTA1l\o1:~ o Ro Qanl9 PIaIao sniMrIa 1J0000W2onem .A\g. 01131 0lI1Iilnls .i',. .J: -=".