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<br />RIO GRANDE BASIN <br /> <br />Basinwide Condltfons Assessment <br />The SWSI value of 04 indicates that for December <br />the basin water supplies were near normal, which is more <br />optimistIC than administrators believe are warranted The <br />Natural Resources Conservation Service reports that <br />January 1 snowpack is 85% of normal. Flow at the gaging <br />station RIo Grande near Del Norte averaged 147 cfs (71 % of <br />normal) and the Conejos River near Mogote had a mean flow <br />of 39 cis (75% of normal) during December. Storage in <br />Platoro, RIo Grande, and Santa Mana reservoirs totaled <br />48% of normal as of the end of December. <br />Conditions were warmer and dner than normal in the <br />San Luis Valley during December. but the higher elevations In <br />the San Juan Mountains received a generous snowfall the first <br />weekend of January <br />A look back. at the 2003 calendar year shows that In <br />general, stream flow totals In the upper Rio Grande BaSin were <br />only 40% to 60% of average Streamflow through the Rio <br />Grande near Del Norte gaging statJon dunng 2003 was only <br />49% of normal. the sixth worst year on record The significance <br />of this is amplified because it followed the 2002 annual runoff <br />that was the lowest in recorded history, datmg back. to 1890. <br />The low runoff created a huge demand on groundwater <br />reserves. Thus, there was no recovery of the groundwater <br />aquifers that many farmers and ranchers depend on in the San <br />Luis Va!!ey In fact. aquifer storage dramatically decreased for <br />the second straight year. <br />A1amosa's total preCIpitation of 65 inches dunng 2003 <br />was below the annual average of 7.5 inches The average <br />temperature of 43.6 degrees was the highest It'S been In over <br />20 years <br /> <br />-- <br /> <br />,. <br /> <br /> <br />i <br />, <br /> <br />,I <br /> <br />Jan-04 <br /> <br /> <br />_______->1--"'_ <br />-- <br /> <br />Outlook <br />Stream flow in the basin should be below average for <br />the next three monthS <br /> <br />AdministrativefManaQement Concerns <br />Pursuant to the artides of the Rio Grande Compact, <br />Colorado had a minimal delivery reqUirement (about 115.000 <br />acre-feet) to New Mexico and Texas in 2003 because of the <br />drought. Colorado used a combination of delivery credit carried <br />over from 2002 and streamflow past the stalellne to meet the <br />obligation. Colorado Should begin 2004 WIth a modest delivery <br />credit of about 5000 acre-feet <br />Closed Basin Project delivery to the Rio Grande <br />totaled about 13.400 acre-feet All Project canal deliveries met <br />water quality standards <br /> <br />Public Use Impacts <br />The current soCl'Npack. IS very promiSing In the San <br />Juan Mountains HO'Never, In the Sangre de Costo range <br />snowpack. is only poor to fair <br /> <br />1<<lCJW-U'l'l!Il1-ol:RTE,A..ClNBY,^",mlVENl <br /> <br />mm <br /> <br />IZ(JWJ~- + <br /> <br />lmm-- <br />, <br />o <br />-='~WJ' <br />; , <br />" _A,- <br />jmllD' <br />~ /-- <br />, -- <br />U ~lID.,.-/ _...-------- .. ____ <br />---~ . -+. <br />;::::..------' <br />0' -' <br />O::l t<o.- 00<: ..., <br /> <br />-;- <br /> <br />__'o'CT11\l51 <br /> <br />-_CR'O'(= <br /> <br /> <br />~Al1'IAO~ <br /> <br />","" <br /> <br />nm- <br /> <br />. <br />. <br />, <br />'"lOlID <br />~ - <br />, <br /> <br />5.LDJ~ <br /> <br />,~ <br /> <br />"'''""' <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />j <br /> <br />."'v1;Y.11en..-.. <br /> <br />. -----' <br />. <br /> <br />.-- <br />-' <br /> <br />.- <br />!::::- <br /> <br />... - <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />-.., <br /> <br />."" <br /> <br />--~ <br /> <br />-~ <br /> <br />_.~ <br /> <br />,.~ <br /> <br />.001.Wc.n.... <br />