SWSIReportJuly2008

• Title: Colorado Water Supply Conditions Update
• Date: 7/25/2008
• Description: Water Availability Task Force Meeting Materials
• Basin: Statewide
• Drought Mitigation - Doc Type: Presentation

GUNNISON BASIN
Basinwide Conditions Assessment
The SWSI value for the month was 1.8. Flow at the
gaging station Uncompahgre River near Ridgway was 869.1
cfs, as compared to the long-term average of 556 cfs.
Storage in Taylor Park, Crawford, and Fruitland reservoirs
totaled 105% of normal as of the end of June.
Outlook
June is typically the driest month of the year during
the irrigation season in western Colorado and June 2008
was no exception. Montrose had only 0.30 inches of
precipitation compared to the monthly average of 0.54
inches. Persistent high pressure has dominated the basin
most of the month, forcing temperatures into the 90's for the
nearly the entire month. However, the high snowpack this
year kept the natural streamflow from quickly diminishing
and has provided ample irrigation supply throughout the
month of June.
snowpack conditions and weather patterns this
spring have been so ideal that Irrigated lands below most of
the reservoir systems, such as Grand Mesa, the Gurley
System, Fruitland Reservoir, and Fruitgrowers Reservoir,
relied on free river conditions and have not yet begun
releasing reservoir water as of the end of June.
AdministrativelManagement Concerns
Releases at the Aspinall Unit are being decreased in
response to declining inflows to Blue Mesa Reservoir. The
June 15 runoff forecast for Blue Mesa is 1,120,000 ac-ft
which is 156% of the normal spring runoff. As of this report,
the Gunnison Tunnel is diverting around 700 cfs and flows in
the Gunnison River through the Black Canyon are around
1440 cfs.
With full reservoirs at this time of the year,
administrative and management concerns will be minimum
for the water year 2008.
Public Use Impacts
High fuel prices have not seemed to negatively
impact tourism in the Gunnison Basin. Recreational facilities
at Blue Mesa Reservoir, the Grand Mesa, as well as popular
river rafting areas, have experienced high use so far this
summer. And with the above average flows this year,
significant carryover storage is expected at the end of the
irrigation season.
6
Jul-08
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