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Division of Water Resources - Don West The June Water Supply Conditions Update Report can be found at hUp:llwaler.state.co.us/pubslswsi.asp but a brief synopsis is as follows. SWSJ's lowest values foml a diagonal band from northwest to southeast and include YampalWhite, Colorado and Arkansas Basins for the lowest values in stream flows South l'latle nasin - is running on average, reservoirs were about nonnal. in the South Platte Basin, reservoir storage is the highest component of this SWSI calculation. At the Kersey gage il was bener than 2002 bul still well below average. For example it is running at 400 CFS this year and 2400 CFS is the long tenn average. Don't expect additional water into storage and this will be bad for agricultural users. ~lany cities have implemented their drought plans some time ago. The end of slimmer will likely be dry this year. Empire and Jackson reservoirs will drop because of agricultural demand. Arkansas Basin - Stream flow is heavily weighted. river was on par with 2002. In April and May we broke away a bit, trans mountain water are well below nonnal, the Fry-Ark allocated 10,000 AF of water this year and a typical year is 50-60,000 AF. We will have administration of rules related to the compacts, wells will be regulated. when we deal \vith the Arkansas. Mr Jack Byers, Assistant State Engineer. added to this report: Jolm Martin Reservoir is dO\vn because of releases and agricultural reservoirs operating as they are supposed to, (empty and the end of summer). There was discussion about the new Tamarisk eradication program outside of Pueblo. It is designed to reduce losses along the Arkansas by removing, cutting and buming Tamarisk that line the banks. The goat is to reduce losses and improve the water management scheme. The John i>.brtin Reservoir releases arc for compact obligations. Rio Grande Basin - stream Oows are up and abo....e lhe average but reser....oir storage is a bit helow average. TIle Rio Grande at Del Norte gage is at average. The Alamosa office says streams have peeked, May \vas dry. and they have made a stomge release early to offset dry conditions. Gunnison nasin - Is right at average. May was bit cooler and snow was melting out slower and there is more around this month. The Division ollice in Grand Mesa said reservoirs can fill this year. Blue Mesa will reach 80 to 85% of full. There is a call on the Uncompaghrc River. Reservoir recreation use will good. but stream flows for rafting will be lower than desirable. Local fire managers are \vomed about fire danger in the Colorado River basin. Yampa/Whitc Basin- this computed vatue has no reservoir storage and stream !low factor is quite low, many streams and rivers went under administration at the end of ~1ay. Irrigation reservoirs have begun reteasing to users. San .luanfl)olores - ShO\\'ed a River Oow gmph of the Animas Riverncar Durango. May lOth had most oflhe gaging stations peaking in this basin. Lemon reservoir will now till and so will Vallecito and Jackson Gulch Reservoirs. US Geological Survey - John Gordon The USGS Drought website can be found at http://watcrdata.usgs.gov/co/nwis/rt The USGS collaborates with the DWR and CweB for stream gages. The drought website shows locations of real time stream gages with usually 30-years of data for each gage. The l:,'l'aphs are updated every four hours. In 2002. the USGS added the Drought Watch Page. This sile provides real lime data on the drought. The drought watch site shuts down in the winler because of ice effects on the stream gages. If you go to the site and click on triangles it will pull up additional graphs. There have been \vild fluctuations in temperature so . -....""-- '00 '00 ;00 GOO '00 . . e..,...,..,_ 00 ~ , '00 . '00 . - ---''l~- _ ,.00"",-,.. 7r>-~"""_ _2';..15","",- ~~- _<10_'" _ ____"000 .. . ~". .... = "'" 0.:1.... .. - ~ _ "v ... ... Pa.T_..'-lal'll~' c:.-jU..... "'_'Do.....__so...._......,..".,s.__.... t.tn;J-T.... s,_"Y"l-~__..._U!lGooot>j~~_."~a