WSP14218B

• File Number: 8210.137
• Description: Colorado River Basin-Colorado River Basin Organizations/Entities-Colorado River Forecast Committee
• Date: 2/1/1984
• Author: USDA, SCS
• Title: Colorado and New Mexico Water Supply Outlook
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

W51' I1-1 G II ri 15
Water Supply Outlook for Colorado and New Mexico - Page 2
GUNNISON RIVER WATERSHED IN COLORADO
COLORADo SUMMARY of SNOW MEASUREMENTS
(COMPARISON WITn PRtVIOUS YEARS)
P 1 T N I N
RIVER BASIN Number of THIS YEAR'S SNOW
q SU&W and or ED Courses WATER AS PERCENT OF
TER°mo ;:;•o Averaged Lost Year 1961-60 Average
TRICKLE @x:
M E S A mv1oE
. MESA LAKE e�•o�cy�""�`�"t?' NORTN
LOST Gunnison 12 39°- t.$•'•' ;?�?> ::s:?s:x>s;sf?.<., _39e lH3 160 -
S� urfa..a:. ce Cr
eek e� ek
3
10
159
Uncompahgre
4
191
2
I .:.'•?°i$J::..�+cr:�Gif:::v.v� :':;p;:.tt::t::{:./oi?i;:j;.,..v.
A F F E
it.•Z,:,
:*:�#.::.+`•:sbv `:s}�vv'N:a s`•.3�.sere t�;� ::'s:<A:�:at'�;°e? .
o.:a..
#3:a
SNOW COURSE MEASUREMENTS
S
::k• y 0
£E`O'•.` 3>m`�S'•'.: CURR NTIMF INFO
RMATION
ON PA
ST RECORD
;ry.
o.
t.
........:.:. a,..,o-.»<.::x:::<.:::?::.�. .....;,. c «r::i::o�:•::,::,;•:.:.;: ? WATER CONTENT
ZR.
....,..:.:.::::::• ..r'.:. ..:,.::.v::.::::...... .:. ::"'.;':.e.�.' .rr..,:..•?:..r:••r.::rr...ors>:'o:�:<1;<a:�'::z >:::�''
(INCHES)ATE SNOW WATER
M0 'em SNOW COURSE OF DEPTH CONTENT
N`
<i> t SURVEY ((IN
CHES) (INCHES)
L AST A V G.
EA R
sl eo
>i.:.
G UNNIS't•�:n:n':< " ........:. ON BASIN
t..<.
LE
GEND GE N
• Fo
recast
ca st P of M
Gunnisoni
•
River
S.:
H P 0 now Crs cue
S A N a�
C OC` ET APA SS I
SN O TE L Sit
e
Alexander Lake 1/26 60 21
.4
4 2 0.0 13.3
STREA
38
--�-_ �. ::::... ..¢;v;>t >tii�@'."'.:r::><:'::.>:;:`>.:..t`;•,:.:�:::•s:: -3e FLOW FORECASTS
Percent of 1961-80A Blue Mesa DISCONTINUED D
o TELLURIDE• M �e
DARA » �-r---
Over 130% Butte 1/27 51 18.5 5.1 10.1
S LUMGU LION
M 1 G U E L NertoUNTA'N .¢ Cocheto a Pass B 1/26 27 7.0 2.1 3.9
MINERAL c MIN E R A L ® 110-130°k P ( ) /
Silver town ( -
SAN JUAN ° .�-�. 90_110% - Crested Butte 1/27 46 14.9 5.0 9.1 70- 9096 -
Q
Keystone 1/31 62 22.6 9.0 13.9
10 - 0 _ 10 20 30 40 MILES ® Under 70% Lake City 1/31 32 8.3 3.2 5.4
* _
SCALE 1:1 620,000 -- Mesa Lakes (B) 1/26 54 18.9 16.0 10.5
McClure Pass 1/27 46 14.0 7.8 10.6
Park Cone 1/26 39 12.2 3.6 6.6
YOUR WATER SUPPLY Park Reservoir 1/26 64 21.6 20.6 15.2
MOUNTAIN SNOWPACK IS CURRENTLY 60% ABOVE NORMAL, DOWN FROM 729% A MONTH AGO. Porphyry Creek 1/27 54 18.1 5.8 11.0
Slumgullion 1/31 43 12.9 6.0 9.1
THE HIGHEST SNOWPACK IN THE BASIN OCCURS IN THE UNCOMPAHGRE WATERSHED, AND IS 162% Tomichi DISCONTINUED
OF AVERAGE. FOUR SNOW COURSES RECORDED NEW MAXIMUMS ON RECORD. AMONG THESE WERE Surface Creek
IDARADO AND IRONTON PARK IN THE UNCOMPAHGRE RIVER, MESA LAKES AND PORPHYRY CREEK Alexander Lake 1/26 60 21.4 20.0 13.3Mesa Lakes 1/26 54 18.9 16.0 10.5 '
IN THE GUNNISON AND SURFACE CREEK DRAINAGES. AN EXCELLENT WATERSUPPLY OUTLOOK Park Reservoir 1/26 64 21.6 20.6 15.2
IS EXPECTED. THE GUNNISOPd RIVER NEAR GRAND JUNCTION IS FORECASTED TO HAVE 83% Uncompahgre River
Idarado 1/30 49 15.6 7.4 9.6
ABOVE NORMAL FLOWS FOR THE APRIL-SEPTEMBER PERIOD. RESERVOIR STORAGE IS 124% OF Ironton Park 1/30 51 18.0 7.6 9.2
Red Mountain Pass 1/26 84 28.2 17.3 19.6
AVERAGE. SOIL MOISTURE IS GENERALLY FAIR TO GOOD. Telluride (B) 1/23 36 9.217.3
5.5
:7S-No surve?.
STREAMFLOW FORECASTS (1000 Ae. Ft.) April -September - �s�-� adjacent drainage.
*Less than 15 years of record.
D Snow course discontinued. Estimates available thru RCS office.
FORECAST POINT Forecast ;of Average 1961-80 -
Average
., ._
-Fast`'River At Al.annt _ WATERSHED SNOWPACK
305 151 202.4
Based on 5 Selected Snow Courses*
I Gunnison River inflow to Blue Mesa. Reservoir (1) 1330 169
803.2
Gunnison River near Grand Junction (2) 2300 183
1265.0
Mort
h Fbrk of Gunnison (3) 475 166
Surface Creek near Cedaredge 23 133 2 17.9 N#7 t�ttA 1>t11EC�t1 Et
.3 w 30
Taylor River Inflow to Taylor Park Reservoir l76 156
114.7
Uncompahgre River at Colona 207 155 133.8 >
w 25
W
/ Observed
t ved
flow
P •a cha
nge�e in stora
ge in Taylor Res
ervoir. (TI Observed flow
P!•a change in storage in Observed Jlse P1•a eAandt in storage inPaonieRelerwir.
Blue No via. Narrow Point and Taylor Rererroira. 2
W
F•-
Q
3 -
WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK Ea lIansed as-Pear. t toFai A al Su.ER. RESERVOIR STORAGE (Thousand Ae. Ft.) END OF MONTH 3 15 veroe• .
cellen t'With Respect to Usual.Supply.y. O A
Flow•Per.od O 196�
Basin or Stream
STREAM or AREA Spend Late and-or Usable Usable Storage 0 IC•Season Season RESERVOIR Capaury This LaS1 1961-80
Year reap I Average W
O
Ohio Creek Excellen Excelle t Blue Mesa 830 490 540 391 v, 5
Slate River Excellen Excelle t 14 11 Crawford 1/
11 7 :;.....:; >:..
Tomichi Creek 1> t
xcellen Excelle t Fruitgrowers 4 4 4 3 0
Fruitland 9 5 2 3 FEB. Ist MAR. Ist APR.Ist MAY Ist
Morrow Poinrl/ 121 115 115 103 *Crested Butte, Ironton Park, Park Cone, Park
Taylor 106 62 70 61 Reservoir, Por h rX Creek.
1/ Period of record less than 15 years.
Issued by ReZeased by Report prepared by
PETER C. MYERS SHELDON G. BOONE RAY T. MARGO, JR. GARRY L. SCHAEFER Snow Survey Supervisor SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE
T MI Supervisor SNOW SURVEY UNIT CHAEL A. GILLESPIE Assistant Snow Survey
CHIEF STATE CONSERVATIONIST STATE CONSERVATIONIST
SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE JOHN L. SPRAGUE HydrOlOgic Technician
2490 WEST 26TH AVE.
WASHINGTON, D.C. DENVER, COLORADO ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO NARY M.V I G I L DENVER, COLORADO.80211
Statistical Assistant
LIST OF COOPERATORS
The SCS"administers the Cooperative Snow Survey Program in cooperation with
other federal, state, and local agencies as well as private organizations
and individuals. The following oranizations cooperate in Colorado and New
Mexico Snow Surveys.
STATE INVESTOR OWNED UTILITIES CORPORATIONS
Colorado State Engineer Colorado Public Service Company Aspen Skiing Corp.
Colorado State Soil Conservation Board Public Service Company of New Mexico Colorado Fuel and Iron Corp.
New Mexico State Engineer Colorado State University Experiment Station MUNICIPALITIES Climax Molybdenum Corp.
Copper Mountain Ski Area
Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station 1 Lake Eldora Corp.
New Mexico Dept. of Game and Fish City of Denver City of Greeley Vail Associates, Incorporated
University of Colorado, INSTAAR City of Boulder City of Fort Collins Taylor Lumber and Land Company
Idarado Mining Corp. -
FEDERAL
WATER USERS ORGANIZATIONS PRIVATE CITIZENS
Department of Agriculture
Forest Service Arkansas Valley Ditch Association Otto Goemmer, Colorado
Soil Conservation Service
Colorado River Water Conservation District Moreno Ranch, New Mexico
Department of Interior
Bureau of Reclamation IRRIGATION PROJECTS
Geological Survey
National Park Service Farmers Reservoir and Irrigation Company
Department of Commerce San Luis Valley Irriation District
NOAA, National Weather Service Santa Maria Reservoir Company
NOAA, National Environmental Satellite Servie Costilla Land Company
Defense Department Montezuma Irrigation Co.
Army Engineer Corps Uncompahgre Valley Water Users' Association Many other organizations and individuals furnish valuable information for
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Twin Lakes Reservoir and Canal Company the snow survey and water supply forecast reports. Their assistance is
Goddard Space Flight Center Trinchera Irrigation Co. gratefully acknowledged.
USN-aeSlraaTuao.OR tall