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<br />South Platte Basin <br />The SWSI value (-1.7) indicates that for March the basin water supplies were below nonnal. <br />Reservoir storage was 105% of nonnal at of the end of March. Storage levels in the major plains <br />reservoirs: Julesburg, North Sterling, and Prewitt are at 78% of capacity. Cumulative storage in <br />the major upper-basin reservoirs of Cheesman, Eleven Mile, Spinney, and Antero is at 64% of <br />capaci ty. <br /> <br />Arkansas Basin <br />SWSI value (-3.3) indicates that basin water supplies were well below nonnal for March. <br />Stream flows at the gauging station near Portland was 326 cfs, as compared to the long-tenn <br />average of 367 cfs. Storage in Turquoise, Twin Lakes, Pueblo, and John Martin reservoirs <br />totaled 51 % of nonnal at the end of March. <br /> <br />Rio Grande Basin <br />SWSI value (-0.9) indicates that basin water supplies were below normal in March. April 1, <br />2004 snowpack is 77% of nonnal. Storage in Platoro, Rio Grande, and Santa Maria reservoirs <br />totaled 61 % of nonnal at the end of March. Precipitation in Alamosa was only 0.19 inches. <br />Snowfall on the Valley floor totaled only 1.0 inch, one of the worst snowfall months since 1970. <br />The snowpack began to decline March 8, over a month before the average peak of April 15. <br /> <br />Gunnison Basin <br />The SWSI value (-1.6) indicates that March basin water supplies for the Gunnison Basin were <br />below nonnal. Snowpack for March 1 was 102% of normal. On March 31, the snowpack had <br />fallen to 74 percent of average. Storage in Taylor Park, Crawford, and Fruitland reservoirs <br />totaled 115% of nonnal at of the end of March. The record heat of March caused much snow to <br />melt, and some irrigators began to irrigate early. <br /> <br />Colorado Basin <br />The SWSI value (-2.6) indicates that for March basin water supplies were below nonnal. Flow <br />at the gauging station near Dotsero was 831 cfs, as compared to the long-tenn average of 1,102 <br />cfs. Storage in Green Mountain, Ruedi, and Williams Fork reservoirs totaled 112% of average at <br />the end of March. Snowpack is only marginally better than in 2002, and it's anticipated that <br />several major reservoirs will not fill this year. <br /> <br />Yampa/White Basin <br />The SWSI value (-3.3) indicates that water supplies were well below normal for the end of <br />March. Precipitation for the entire Basin was only 58% of average for the month. Snowpack for <br />the Yampa River is at 69% of nonnal. If little precipitation is received for the rest of the spring, <br />water supply conditions could be as severe as in 2002. <br /> <br />San Juan/Dolores Basin <br />The SWSI value (0.5) indicates that March water basin supplies were below normal. The NRCS <br />reported that April 1 snowpack is 70% of normal. Flow at the gauging station, Animas River <br />near Durango was 582 cfs, as compared to the long-tenn average of 304 cfs. Storage in McPhee, <br />Vallecito, and Lemon reservoir totaled 78% of normal the end of March. <br /> <br />Roger Pielke. Sr.. State Climatologist, Colorado State Universitv <br />Mr. Pielke explained that his overview of precipitation is the same as Mike Gillespie's--a very <br />dry March. He stated there was not anything new, but the message is dry. Mr. Pielke said we <br />have had very dry conditions day and night and that some areas did not have any precipitation in <br />