Colorado State Basin Outlook Report

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State Basin Outlook Reports TERRY LAKE 8.0 5.7 4.7 5.2 L7NION 13.0 12.6 8.4 10.4 WINDSOR 15.2 9.4 0.9 10.0 ------------------------ ------------------------ SOUTH PLATTE RIVER HASIN Watershed Snowpack Analysis - January 1, 2008 Number of This Year as Percent of Watershed Data Sites Last Year Average BIG THOMPSON BASIN 3 61 79 BOULDER CREEK BASIN 3 59 82 CACHE LA POUDRE BASIN 2 84 99 CLEAR CREEK BASIN 2 83 110 SAINT VRAIN BASIN 1 75 158 UPPER SOUTH PLATTE BASIN 6 80 95 TOTAL SOUTH PLATTE BASIN 17 73 93 ? YAMPA, WHITE, AND NORTH PLATTE RIVER BASZNS as of January 1, 2008 January 1 snowpack conditions in the combined Yampa, white, North Platte and Laramie River basins are slightly below normal at 93 percent of average. Early in the season, snowpacks in the Yampa and white River basins had been well below average. Fortunately, some pretty decent snowfall during December helped bring snowpacks up from 34 percent of average at the end of November to 85 percent of average on January 1. The North Platte and Laramie River basins saw similar conditions resulting in January 1 snowpacks that were 90 percent of average, up from around 56 percent of average at the end of November. The Laramie River Watershed reported the best January 1 conditions in the basin at 107 percent of average, while the White River Drainage posted the lowest figures at 85 percent of average. Mountain precipitation in the combined basins was 138 percent of average in October. This was followed by a dry November that only produced 40 percent of the average precipitation for that month. December precipitation was 133 percent of average and helped to bring the water year total precipitation (since October 1) up to 102 percent of average. End of December reservoir storage is 99 percent of average and 92 percent of last years figures. Near normal streamflows are expected in much of the basin. At the lower end of the spectrum, Fortification Creek near Fortification is expected to receive 80 percent of its average flows. Elhead Creek below Maynard Gulch should see the highest percentage of runoff at 115 percent of average. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- YAMPA, WHITE, AND NORTA PLATTE RIVER BASINS Streamflow Forecasts - January 1, 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Drier =_= Future Conditions =_= Wetter Forecast Pt IChance of Exceeding *I Forecast 1 90% 70% 1 50% 1 30% 10% 1 30 Yr Avg Period 1(1000AF) (1000AF)1(1000AF) (%- AVG.)I(1000AF) (1000AF)l (1000AF) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NORTH PLATTE RIVER nr Northgate APR-JiJL 107 167 215 88 270 360 245 APR-SEP 116 182 235 87 295 395 270 LARAMIE RIVER nr Woods APR-JUL 77 111 133 108 155 189 123 APR-SEP SS 121 146 108 171 205 135 Yampa R ab Stagecoach Reservoir (2) APR-JLTI, 18.5 25 31 107 37 48 29 Page 8 of 15 http://www.wcc.nres.usda.gov/cgibin/bor2.p1?state=co&year=2008&month=l&format=text 4/14/2008