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<br />GUNNISON BASIN <br /> <br />Basinwide Conditions Assessment <br />Ihe SWSI value for the month was +3.6 Ihe Natural <br />Resources Conservation Service reports that April 1 <br />snowpack is 133% of normal. Flow at the gaging station <br />Uncompahgre River near Ridgway was 81.6 cfs, as <br />compared to the long-term average of 62.0 cfs. Storage in <br />laylor Park, Crawford, and Fruitland reservoirs totaled 126% <br />of normal as of the end of March. <br /> <br />Outlook <br /> <br />Snowpack conditions have decreased in the <br />Gunnison Basin over the month of March, with the average <br />snow water equivalent measurements from NRCS SNOIEL <br />sites reporting 146 percent of average on February 29th to <br />128 percent of average on March 31 st. Supply conditions still <br />look excellent for 2008. Given the cooler than average <br />temperatures this winter, runoff appears to be about a month <br />later than normal this year. Low snow still exists in most <br />areas of the basin at and above 7000 feet, which will <br />significantly add to this year's runoff. <br /> <br />Administrative/Manaqement Concerns <br />Ihe Bureau of Reclamation completed their <br />scheduled maintenance operations on the stilling basins <br />below Crystal Dam and Blue Mesa Dam in March. Flows out <br />of the Aspinall Unit were stopped briefly for the work but <br />have returned to 2,170 cfs in order to bring down Blue Mesa <br />Reservoir elevation and to supply the Gunnison lunnel <br />diversion. Ridgway Reservoir and laylor Park Reservoir <br />have also significantly increased releases in March to <br />accommodate expected runoff. <br /> <br />Public Use Impacts <br />Farmers in the Uncompahgre Valley will be ready for <br />irrigation water by the beginning of April. However, the upper <br />Gunnison River basins above Gunnison are still heavily <br />covered with snow and will be at least a full month behind the <br />normal irrigation season. <br /> <br />~ 25,000 <br />" <br />" <br />LL <br />" <br />~ 20,000 <br /> <br />s- <br />o <br />Li 15,000 <br />w <br />> <br />>= <br />:'S 10,000 <br />::J <br />:;;; <br />::J <br />U 5,000 <br /> <br />1i) 6O,00J <br />2 <br />~ SJ,CCO <br />'" <br />,,- <br />~ 4O,CCO <br />o <br />1i5 <br />~ 3O,CCO <br />'" <br />Vl <br />::J <br />2O,00J <br /> <br />6 <br /> <br />May-08 <br /> <br />G..N\ISO\l eASlN SNSI HSlORY <br /> <br />f- 2 <br />~ <br /> <br /> <br />w1 <br />:3 <br />:g: <br />>< 0 <br />w <br />o <br />Z <br />-1 <br />>- <br />'" <br />o <br />-2 <br /> <br />-3 <br /> <br />Jan-OO Jan-01 Jan-02 Jan-03 Jan-04 J<n-05 Jan-03 Jan-07 J<n-OO <br /> <br />MCNTH/'lEAR <br /> <br />UNCOM'AHGRE RIVER NR RIDGWAY, FLOW BY WATER YEAR <br /> <br />30,000 <br /> <br /> <br />o <br />Oct i'bot <br /> <br />Dee Jan Feb March <br /> <br />___ V\.ET (1984) <br /> <br />-+-ORY(1977) -A-AVG *-2008 <br /> <br />REPRESENTATIVE RESERVOIRS <br /> <br />8O,00J <br /> <br /> <br />70,00J <br /> <br />10,00J <br /> <br />o <br /> <br />Taylor Park <br /> <br />CraW'ord <br /> <br />Fruitland <br /> <br />II AV9. :'131 Contents <br /> <br />II :'131/00 Contents <br />