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<br />Gunnison Basin <br />The SWSI value (-3.3) indicates that for August basin water supplies were well below normaL <br />Streamflows at the gaging station at Uncompahgre River near Ridgeway were 105 cfs, as <br />compared to the long-tenn average of 167 cfs. Storage in Taylor Park, Crawford, and Fruitland <br />reservoirs totaled 86% of normal as of the end of August. <br /> <br />Colorado Basin <br />The SWSI value (-3.0) indicates that August basin water supplies were well below nonnaL Flow <br />at the gaging station near Dotsero was 1,303 cfs, as compared to the long-term average of 1,819 <br />cfs. Storage in Green Mountain, Ruedi, and Williams Fork reservoirs totaled 86% of average at <br />the end of August. <br /> <br />Yampa/White Basin <br />The SWSI value (-3.4) indicates that water supplies were well below normal for the end of <br />August. Stream flows at the gaging station at Yampa River at Steamboat were 65 cfs, as <br />compared to the average of 155 cfs. Irrigation reservoirs at the headwaters of the Yampa River <br />are drained, while those in the North Platte drainage have more water in storage than this date of <br />2002. <br /> <br />San Juan/Dolores Basin <br />The SWSI value (-2.9) indicates that August water basin supplies were well below normaL <br />Precipitation was low for the month of August. High temperatures were lower than normal and <br />the low temperatures were slightly higher than normaL Stream flows were well below normal-- <br />50% or less in most streams. There should be a significant carryover amount of water still <br />available to the large reservoirs for next year. Storage in McPhee, Vallecito, and Lemon <br />reservoir totaled 84% of nonnal the end of August. <br /> <br />Roger Pielke, Sr., State Climatologist. Colorado State University <br />Mr. Pielke commented that August precipitation statewide is close to average in Colorado; this <br />year ranked at the 52nd driest in 110 years. He said regarding Klaus's climate divisions, Grand <br />Junction had the second driest summer on record, while Cheyenne Wells and Rocky Ford were <br />quite wet and well above average. <br /> <br />Mr. Pielke reported that the temperatures in most areas were well below average--a cold August. <br />Precipitation in the southwestern part of the state was very dry in general; and there were dry <br />areas in the west, because they were not able to benefit from the rains on the Front Range. The <br />southeast and central areas benefited most from the rains. <br /> <br />For the 12-month SPI, Mr. Pielke stated there is more moisture in the southwest, and the long- <br />tenn SPI shows the drought is not over--there are many areas that are at risk of dropping into <br />drought conditions. <br /> <br />Mr. Pielke said the Drought Monitor needs to be more refined to show the extreme dryness in <br />Colorado's southwest. <br />