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GUNNISON BASIN Basinwide Conditions Assessment The SWSI value of +1.7 indicates that for December the basin water supplies were slightly above normal. The Natural Resources Conservation Service reports that January 1 snowpack was 116% of normal. Flow at the gaging station Uncompahgre River near Ridgway was 75 cfs, as compared to the long-term average of 53 cfs. Storage in Taylor Park, Crawford, and Fruitland reservoirs totaled 97% of normal as of the end of December. Outlook The soil moisture conditions are excellent in the low to mid-level elevations due to the late fall and December storms, A large storm in late December dumped a lot of moisture in the basin, in the form of rain in some areas. An inch of rain fell in Norwood, which is at the elevation of 7000 feet. This was highly unusual for December and melted most of the snow that was on the ground. The locals are hoping for some new snow to cover the ground and preserve the soil moisture. Administrative/Manaaement Concerns . The Gunnison River basin continues to be concerned about the decreasing levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead caused from the multi-year drought. Lake Powell storage is about 38 percent of capacity, the lowest level since 1 970. The Colorado River Compact of 1922 divided the Colorado River into upper and lower basins and apportioned water between the two basins. The Compact required that the upper basins (of which Colorado is one) deliver an average of 7.5 million acre-feet over a ten-year period, Because of the drought, the deliveries have been well below that amount since the year 2000. It is still unsure how it could be administered, but the legal and political climates are heating up. . The Secretary of the Interior has the final say in this matter. Public Use Imoacts The farmers are excited to see the good soil moisture conditions, and it will help their planting this spring. Other water users are also excited to see an above-average snow pack, realizing it's still too early to forecast the spring runoff. Of course, those that enjoy recreating on the snow are having a good winter season. ~, ~ " l~an ~20.QX) 9 ~ ~1~an 5 ~ 10,000 " o 6 w' ~ ~ >, i ., Ii c . ,""an lSQan . ,; I! 40,00) Il ~3O,OOO . . " "',an Jan-05 '. """""" . JtMl1JftlBJfiQll.-.o:l.llnOlJK>(2.linG~'" ."""... ~ RI\oER tR RIDGWAY, RDN BY WAlER 'tEAR ",an 3O,an ~an o Otl Do: ... Feb ....... "" "" -e-YET (11lB4) --r:RV(1lm} _AVG '*-= R:PFESENTA~ RESERVO~ eo.an man lOan o Ta)4crPar1c. o..Iad F"""" IIA-.g. 12131 Qn:Er1ls E112131A)1Q:rltents