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1) -, -: f'I:" 3 J:).';' ~ / YAMPAlWHITE BASIN Basinwide Conditions Assessment The SWSI value of ~2.8 indicates that for January the basin water supplies were below normal. Flow at the gaging station Yampa River at Steamboat was 85.9 cfs, as compared to the long-term average of 99.8 cfs. January continued the trend of cold temperatures and below normal precipitation. ~asin wide precipitation. as measured at the area SNOWTEL sites,. was only 60% of average for the month, Snowpack in the basin ranged from a high of 68% for the Littfe Snake River to a low of 61 % for the North Platte. The Yampa and White Rivers' had a combined snowpack of 66% of average. Outlook The February 1 runoff forecast. provi~ed by the Natural Resource ConserVation Service, estimates the most probable sprIngtime runoff on the various major drainages will range from 44% of average on the North Platte, near Northgate to 66% of a\i~rage on the White River near Meeker. The forecast for the Yampa River near Maybell is 64% of average, and the Little Snake near Dixon is forecasted to be 55% of average. These forecasts are all lower than a month ago. Administrative/Manaaement Concerns. The forecast numbers' indicate the basin is facing a potential runoff season that could be worse than last year. If the weather patterns. that have been seen so far this winter continue, admini~tration of water rights may begin earlier than normal in parts of: the basin. Given the present . conditions, wat.er users could potentially see lower peak flows during the runoff, coupled with shorter runoff duration. 100.000 90,000 1il eo,ooo J! t 70,000 < ~ 00,000 9 II.. 50,000 ~ ;:: 4O.<nl ::5 ~ 30.~ a 20.000 8 Feb-Q2 YMPJW\HlCIlA9N_ f1STl:RY . L, 'C. 5 .- "'i" !!I .... 1 ~ ~ 0 ;!'; ~. >- ., ~ 1- ~ .;! -4 -.--- .....112___.___.___ ~/'11iM ~~" . YIWPA ~ AT ~T. RDN BY WAle:! 'tEAR . ?~ 10.000 o O:t /1m Dee Jan Ftb MlRh ApI ....... 'M:T (1984) ~ tRY (1917) -o-AVG ... 2Q2 -~- 1 .. .:.i,r;"