Summary of Select Water Storage and Flow Conditions ‎(6)‎

• File Number: 8461.250
• Description: Water Issues
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 4/24/2001
• Author: Rick Brown, Randy Seaholm
• Title: Summary of Select Water Storage and Flow Conditions
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

STATE OF COLORADO
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203 •
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcbstate.co.us
To: Reservoir Coordinating Committee Members
From: Rick Brown, Platte River Coordinator,
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Randy Seaholm, Chief, Interstate Streams Section,
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Date: Apri124, 2001
Subject: Summary of Select `Vater Storage Information and Flow Conditions
for the South Platte River Basin
I. INTRODUCTION
\ I - M UP
Bill Owens
Governor
Greg E. lvalcher
Executive Director
Rod Kuharich
CWCB Direc[or
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 which people can access for additional information and up-to-date
information over the next several months.
H. WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK
Stream Flow
Attached are several graphs of historic and current (March 2001) flow information for the
South Platte River at Julesburg. The mean daily flow for the South Platte at Julesburg for
March 2001 and for the period of record (1902-present) is 212 cubic feet per second (cfs)
and 559cfs, respectively (see Figures 1 and 2). For comparison the March 2000 mean
daily flow at 3ulesburg was 794 cfs. This large differential is primarily the result of
reservoirs that were "topping off' (see Julesburg, North Sterling, and Empire percent
change in storage in Figure 1).
Figure 2 shows South Platte mean monthly flows at Julesburg. A composite of the
minimum and mean monthly flows for the period of record 1902-1998 is also included to
provide the reader with a sense of the wide range of flows which can be expected. As
shown on the graph the average flow at Julesburg is below average for this water year
versus the period of record.
Figure 3 shows predicted stream flow in Colorado as of April 1. Stream flow for the
South Platte basin is estimated to be at 70 to 90 percent of average.
Flood Protection • Water Project Planning and Financing • Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection . Conservation Planning