SWSIReportJan2006

• Title: Colorado Water Supply Conditions Report
• Date: 1/17/2006
• Description: Presentation
• Basin: Statewide
• Drought Mitigation - Doc Type: Presentation

SAN JUAN/DOLORES BASIN

Jan,06

Basinwide Conditions Assessment
The SWSI value of -1.7 indicates that for December
the basin water supplies were below normal. The Natural
Resources Conservation Service reports that January 1
snowpack is 47% of normal. Flow at the gaging station
Animas River near Durango was 240 cfs, as compared to
the long,term average of 230 cfs. Storage in McPhee,
Vallecito, and Lemon reservoirs totaled 116% of normal as
of the end of December.
December weather continued the drier than normal
pattern of the previous month, In Durango, only 0,32 inches
of precipitation were recorded, 22% of average, So far this
Water Year Durango is at 71 % of normal precipitation, As of
January 1st the snowpack for the San Juan River Basin was
only at 47% of normal. The snow courses above Vallecito
and Lemon Reservoirs are particularly short of water at 17%
and 36% of normal respectively,
Stream flows remained near to slightly below normal
for the month due to the warm temperatures melting of the
meager snowpack, The Animas River had a December peak
of 285 cfs on the 3rd and averaged 240 cfs for the month,
which is 108% of normal.
Reservoirs continued to be the bright spot in the
water supply outlook, The three major reservoirs still
maintained above average storage at the end of the month,
The temperatures remained above normal. Overall
Durango was 3.00 above its 30'year average high and 0,60
above its 30'year average low,

Outlook
The current weather pattern has the storm track to
the north of Division 7, but basin administrators are optimistic
that users will get a fair share of snow in the coming winter
months,

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