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Reservoir Storage <br />This year's trend of continued improvement to reservoir storage volumes continued during February. This <br />month's improvements brought the storage volumes in the Gunnison basin to above average, and is now the <br />highest storage percentage in the state at 103% of average. Storage in the South Platte basin has also improve <br />significantly since May of 2004, and is now at 99% of average. Reservoir storage in the Arkansas basin remains <br />well below average at 65 %, and continues to report the largest volume deficit with nearly 200,000 acre feet <br />below the average mark for March 1. At the same time, this year's storage in the Arkansas basin is 123% of <br />those volumes from last year at this time. As a rule, storage in most basins is improved this year over last year's <br />storage at this time. Only the Colorado basin is currently storing less than a year ago, at 91% of last year's <br />volumes. Statewide, reservoir storage is now 86% of average and is 11 % above last year's volumes. Across the <br />San Juan, Animas, and Dolores basins storage volumes actually decreased slightly from last month. Most <br />likely, reservoir operators in these basins are making room for this spring's abundant runoff. <br />Streamflow <br />A drier than normal February contributed to slight decreases in runoff forecasts for most locations across <br />Colorado. The state continues to have a wide range of forecasts, depending upon location and basin conditions. <br />Once again, the southwestern basins, with their abundant snowfall for the past several months, can expect an <br />excellent runoff season. Runoff volumes which exceed 130% of average are forecast throughout most of the <br />San Juan, Animas, and Rio Grande basins. Above average (110% to 130% of average) runoff is forecast in the <br />Dolores, San Miguel, and much of the Gunnison basin. Across the northern half of Colorado, runoff forecasts <br />decrease significantly, and are consistently below average. Most of the Colorado basin, the Front Range <br />tributaries to the South Platte River, the Yampa and North Platte River are forecast at below average volumes, <br />ranging from 70% to 90% of average. Even lower forecasts, 50% to 70% of average, occur along the White <br />River and the Upper main stem of the South Platte River. While drought conditions have eased somewhat <br />across northern Colorado during the past two years, it appears that 2005 will bring increasing drought impacts to <br />these northern basins, while delivering significant relief to Colorado's southern basins. <br />