Planning for Drought May 2000

• Title: Planning for Drought
• Date: 5/1/2000
• Description: Draft Planning for Drought document
• Basin: Statewide
• Drought Mitigation - Doc Type: Drought Planning Document

Gunnison-Uncompahgre River Basins Yampa-White River Basins
Sufficient precipitation records are available in the Sufficient precipitation records in the Yampa-White
Gunnison-Uncompahgre River Basins from 1888. River Basins are available from 1894. Recent
Recent droughts in the Gunnison-Uncompahgre droughts in the Yampa-White River Basins
River Basins occurred in 1889-1890, 1894, 1899- occurred in 1894-1895, 1901-1904, 1911-1912,
1905, 1950-1957, and 1975-1978. 1919-1920, 1934-1937, 1963-1964, 1972-1973, and
1976-1978 (extreme).
Tree-ring Record for Central Western Colorado Tree-ring Record for Northwestern Colorado(Point 48),
• (Point 49), 1700-1979 1700-1978
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Colorado River Mainstem Basin North Platte River Basin
Sufficient precipitation records in the Colorado No long-term precipitation data exists for the North
River Mainstem Basin are available from 1895. Platte River Basin. However a review of stream
Recent droughts in the Colorado River Mainstem gage records shows dry periods occurred in 1917-
Basin occurred in 1899-1905, 1950-1952, 1954, 1918, 1920-1923, 1926, 1928-1929, 1943, 1948-
1956-57, 1963-1964, 1972-1973, and 1976-1978. 1949, 1957-1958, 1961, 1968, 1984, 1986, and
The most severe sustained drought in the tree-ring 1996-1997.
record for the Colorado River Mainstem Basin
occurred in 1579-1598.
Colorado first developed a statewide plan to
Colorado River at Lee's Ferry respond to drought in 1981. The purpose of the
24 4 I 1 , - state's plan is to "provide an effective and
22- - systematic means for the State of Colorado to deal
- 20- - with emergency drought problems which may occur
1a j�i + over the short or long term." The plan is intended
LL
16 I +I, ll�g'I1 i I jl fl, l• i,i�I _ to better coordinate the assessment of emerging II II�' i-• drought and its impacts, the dissemination of
' 1111! df� I VI'' irr • 9 ' •"Er,..1141 { 'I i Alilt1 1
2 12-
II (� �!� `11 l I I - information about drought and alternate response
10- 1 ! ' 1 I - options available to local governments, and the
8 - decision when the state would request federal
6- - disaster assistance. While Colorado's plan is
nationally recognized as a model for state
1500 1550 1800 1650 1700 1750 1800 1850 1500 1950
Year government to assess and respond to drought, it was
never intended to address local water supply and
demand management issues. Water resource
development and drought planning are clearly the
responsibility of individual, local water providers.
5