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<br />GUNNISON BASIN
<br />
<br />Basinwide Conditions Assessment
<br />The SWSI value of 2,0 indicates that for January the
<br />basin water supplies were above normal, The Natural
<br />Resources Conservation Service reports that January 1
<br />snowpack was 98% of normal. Flow at the gaging station
<br />Uncompahgre River near Ridgway was 61 cfs, as compared
<br />to the long,term average of 53 cfs, Storage in Taylor Park,
<br />Crawford, and Fruitland reservoirs totaled 111 % of normal as
<br />of the end of December.
<br />December started cold and stormy, but soon turned
<br />to above normal temperature and below, normal snowfall.
<br />The snowpack numbers vary greatly across the Gunnison
<br />Basin, In the Crested Butte, Taylor River, and Tomichi Creek
<br />areas the snowpack averages 130% of normal. The Grand
<br />Mesa is averaging 91 %, while the upper Uncompahgre River
<br />is 89% of normal. The worst area is the Uncompahgre
<br />Plateau, which has only 64% of normal snowpack,
<br />
<br />Administrative/ManaQement Concerns
<br />The largest reservoirs in the Gunnison Basin, Blue
<br />Mesa and Taylor Park are holding their own right now, levels
<br />are not dropping like they normally do during the winter
<br />season, Both have small releases now, Taylor Park being 75
<br />cfs and Blue Mesa being 500 cfs, Ridgway Reservoir is
<br />gaining slightly, but should levei off as winter flows decrease,
<br />Overall, reservoir storage is looking good right now, and
<br />should be ahead of normal going into the runoff and storage
<br />season.
<br />The USBR will use the January 1 NRCS runoff
<br />forecast to adjust power operations at the Aspinall Unit. If it
<br />is above normal, they could increase releases for power
<br />production during the critical winter months when the
<br />electricity is most needed,
<br />
<br />Public Use ImDacts
<br />After years of drought, 2005 finally brought relief to
<br />water users across the Gunnison valley. The Grand Junction
<br />area received 131 % of average precipitation and above
<br />normal temperatures, Water users are keenly interested in
<br />getting another above,average year, not desiring to slip back
<br />into the drought cycle,
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