SWSIReportSept2003

• Title: Colorado Water Supply Conditions Report
• Date: 9/24/2003
• Description: Presentation
• Basin: Statewide
• Drought Mitigation - Doc Type: Presentation

GUNNISON BASIN

Has:nWlde Conditions Assessment
The SWSI '.a,ue o~ -3 1 indicates tr,a: l:)r AugustIne
basin water supplies ...e:e .....ell b(;,o.... normal FlOW at the
gaging s:alion Unco~pahgre Rlve( ~ear Rldgv,ay was 108
cfs, as compared to Ire long-lea., avera~e of 171 cfs
S:crage In l"aylor Parp<. Crawforo. a"ld Fruitland reservOirs
totaleo 75% 01 normal as of lhe end Of Augusl
T emperat.Jres In the G.mnison and San ~.liguel
9asinso\ere h'gher that norma In August Occasional a'ld
Isolated rain showers In VaflOiJS parts ollne baS!f1S hej~ed
the fiQwS Irom becommg loa 10.....

Acmlnistra:"if:!..r.~al1aQemen! COf'~@
~l\Ier calls ~rom major ,rriga:lon dlteres OCC.Jrred If1
July. as expected, and COnltnued tilroufOh the rnonlh of
Au!;USI On the Gur.mson RIVer, the Gunnison Tunnel callee
oullhe en:lre u;:Joer Gunnison ~iVer BaSin ana ....ater fights
wer~ cU!18'lell down to a 19.$0 adjudication d<3le Wt'.lle lhe
1941 ane 19~3 water fights .:K:count for a large portiO!"! of the

Jrng<:ltlOn CIVefSlors, nost users ....ere able 10 r:nish thel( hay
crop i~rlga~lon befoff' they ....ere curtailed do....n to thor smell
senior (ights_
On the Uncomp.:lhgre R,ver, tl1e M & 0 Canal call
~:)rce-d curtalment of waler (,ghls down to an 1883
ad!uOlcati01 :1ate On the Sa~ Miguel River, the fiOws In
August approaclied the level lor the H~ghhne Canal Near
Nalurila, which would place Ihe entire oasin on call, bulllme:y
ra'ns kept lhe flows JUSI high enough :0 keep them sallslieCl
It IS not expe;::tea t"lalthey w~l: neec te place a call fOf the
remamder or Ine irriga:i.on season.
Irrigators ,1'1 the Gun:)ison "md San Miguel 8asms
have ~ad a gOOd Ir'lgation seaso" this year, althoJgh a large
portIOn of the flows rave been from reservoir storage. The
U'lcorr>pahg'e Valley Water Usc~ ASSOCiation used ttleir
reservOir s10~a~e out of Ridg....ay af'd Taylor Park Resen/Olrs
to sup::lle~cnllhelr irrig<ltlon del,veries It IS tlxpected troat
they Will use theIr entire 1: ,200 af pool in Ridgway ReservOIr
dnd aoout 40 pefcent o. their 106,230 af account in Tayler
Park Reservoir Ihis year_ Among the crops imgaled With
storage ....ater was I~e 'Norld famous .Olathe Sweet, SWe€t
Corn~ produced in the U"lcom;:langre ..alley.
The s:oragc reservoirs en the Gra'1c Mesa are likely
to be fully Ujili76C thiS year With very !it:le ca.'T)" o\ler for Ule

'lext year

P..olic l:Js~ Im:>acts
RecreallonalS;S rlave also bene1lled four the hlgrer
resE'f\lo:rs levels and Mows

Sep.03

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