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<br /> <br /> <br />c-:-- <br />the )"(',)T 2002 was dry The hot. cloudless summer of <br />2002 surpnsed many Coloradans \\llh its relcnllc....<;s <br />intensll)" - Impactlng all our Jt,.es tl> some degree, The <br />three dry }'ears preceding II had ....urned some, but passed <br />unnOliccd by many Yel when our snowpack cY3por.ued In May. <br />rescr....Olrs turned Into dust bowls, and hres roared across the <br />state, people Sl:aned 10 wonder: could It get any wo~, <br />With our complex rnonnonng equipment .md compUler <br />an.:lI)'Sls, Ihls S("cms a simple quesllon: was ltus CoIOr:ld05 driest <br />year in recordl.'d hlStory' The answer: it dqxnds. <br /> <br />SCl[!\CE "'D ST\HHtC<' <br />$clennsLS read droughl's signature on the lands.:ape through <br />precipi131ion ddlil. Iree nngs. SOLI m~)i5turc_ Jnd streamflow <br />gauges HI5l.0ncal records leIl us how long other droughl!. haw <br />la~led. lhdr Sl"'cnly. and where the)' hUlhe WOr!ol. <br />Cenamly. m -2002 reservoir Sll'lJ.ge and m"" runoff were at <br />record k)w lev~.ln 11 normal y.:.u, Colorado nwrs ..:.l1'T}' an a~-er. <br />age of sumt: 16 million acre feel (m.:J.O of flowing water. <br />,~"W!'ding to the State Engmeers <lITke, 2002 rivcr f10....-s. phmgcd <br />to'f maf hen \\1Ih rcsldtol.lal watering restncllons, lanners fal- <br /> <br />lowmg fields, and other water COr1SeD;atlOn measures aems!> thf: <br />!>late, !>Orne 6 maf of watcor had 10 be dramed from the !>Iates <br />rt!>Crvoirs JU!>lIO keep laps f10wmg <br />Snowmelt runoff 15 cntlCaL Colorado reeeh'es o\'cr 8(l per- <br />ctnt of tl!> ....'Ster from spring snowmelt Last year, by May 1 <br />statcowlde sno....-pack was only 19 pen.:.:nl of .lverage - a record <br />low At a time when the rnOuntams usually release their mOl5- <br />ture, huge bare patches devoId of SOl)W sent water rn;magers <br />scurrytng to recalculate their water suppl}' predlCtlons.. <br />~col\:hmg temperatures dldnt help either. Abow-a\'tra~c <br />temperemrcs enhan.."t'd evap<lratlon. $nowmdt, and pLmt <br />Woller uptake. e:xacerb3tlng already dry conditions. The spring <br />of 2002 !>aU' the eadlesL rccorded la~off at Like Granb!" and <br />lhe earltest e\ler openUlg of Trail Ridge Road In Rocky <br />~louo.t.'1m Nallonal ParI<. <br />Precipitation throu~outthe ~I 01 the summer wa;; no l~s <br />generous RaInfall In June and July was lillII.' to =ero In many <br />areas of weslem Colorado. E.1.stern C~lt)rn(fo reCC1\'ed some ~_ <br />CiPUoolllill1 but il e-vapor,1ttd t{UicH}~ with high tcmperannb <br />Augus[ SlW precipltauon lc\'els slill well bcLqw a,-erage <br />sl.1lcW1de. although s..'mc. areas .:If eastern C.:Ilorado -reci;!\'cd <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />COLORAOO F"OUNDATION F"OR WATER EDUCATION <br />