Colorado Water Supply Conditions Update

• File Number: 8461.250
• Description: Water Issues
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Author: Colorado State Engineer's Office
• Title: Colorado Water Supply Conditions Update
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

i
SAN JUAN/DOLORES BASIN Jan-00
Basinwide Conditions Assessment
The SWSI value of -3.3 indicates that for December
the basin water supplies were well below normal. The
Natural Resources Conservation Service reports that
January 1 snowpack is 17% of normal. Flow at the gaging
station Animas River near Durango was 221 cfs, as
compared to the long-term average of 227 cfs. Storage in
McPhee, Vallecito, and Lemon reservoirs totaled 120% of
normal as of the end of December.
December did not bring any relief to the previous 2
months of dry weather. There were only scattered traces of
precipitation in southwest Colorado. Durango's precipitation
of 0.13 inches since October 1 is 3°to of normal. An early
January storm increased snowpack reports from about 10°/a
of normal to 26% of normal.
Base stream flows were below average all across
the basin. The flows were not record lows but do show a
reduction in spring flow.
Reservoir carryover storage is still above average,
and is one positive point on which to base predictions of next
season's supply to irrigators.
Temperatures cooled but the averages were stiil 2-
3° above normal. Single digit lows were experienced in most
areas during the middle of the month.
Ground moisture content was very poor.
Outfook
Snowpack is at an early state, and conditions for the
next spring and summer runoff cannot be predicted at this
point.
Public Use Imoacts
Snow recreation was observed, but ski areas were
not fully open at the end of December.
REPRESENTATNE RESERVOIRS
350.000
300.000
Z 250,000
m
200,000
m
a
?
0
v? 150.000
a
? II
7 100,000
50.000
0
McPnee Valledto lemon
OAvg. 12/31 Contents a12r37/99Contents
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