Summary of Select Water Storage and Flow Conditions

• File Number: 8461.450
• Description: EAC/RCC
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 11/5/2003
• Author: Rick Brown, Carolyn Fritz
• Title: Summary of Select Water Storage and Flow Conditions
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Correspondence

;?TATE OF COLOR.ADO
Colorado Water ConservatilDn Board
Department of Natural Resonrces
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us
To: Reservoir Coordinating Committee Members
From: Rick Brown, Platte River Coordinator,
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Carolyn Fritz, Water Resource Specialist, ?
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Date: November 5, 2003
Subject: Summary of Select Water Storage Information and Flow Conditions
for the South Platte River Basin
L 1NTRODUCTION
Bill Owens
Governor
Greg E. Walcher
Executive D'uector
Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director
Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director
Colorado is pleased to provide the following information in support of the Reservoir Coordinating
Committee (RCC) for the three state Platte River Cooperative Agreement. In preparing the
information we focused our efforts on thE, South Platte River and select data, which we believe is the
most relevant for the RCC. We have also included a number of Internet Sites that people can access
for additional information and up-to-date information over the next several months.
II. WATER SUPPLY OLJTLOOK
Stream Flow
Attached are several graphs of historic arLd current (October 2003) flow information for the South
Platte River at Julesburg. The mean dail:y flow for the South Platte at Julesburg for October 2003
and for the period of record (1902-2002) was 47 cubic feet per second (cfs) and 316 cfs, respectively
(see Figure 1). For comparison the October 2002 mean daily flow at Julesburg was 25 cfs.
Figure 2 shows South Platte mean monthly flows at Julesburg. The reader can see that 2003 was a
very dry year once again, and from May to present, flow conditions often approach the historic
minimum. The overall flow was below a.verage for the fourth consecutive year.
Estimated stream flow fo:r the South Platte basin will be available in January 2004 and will be
provided at our next meeting.
Flood Protection • Water Supply Planning and Finance • Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Prol:ection • Conservation and Drought Planning