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<br />RIO GRANDE BASIN <br /> <br />Basinwide Conditions Assessment <br />The SWSI value of 0.1 indicates that for October the <br />basin water supplies were near normal. Flow at the gaging <br />station Rio Grande near Del Norte averaged 471 cfs (97% of <br />normal). The Conejos River near Mogote had a mean flow <br />of 153 cfs (132% of normal). Storage in Platoro, Rio Grande. <br />and Santa Maria reservoirs totaled 49% of normal as of the <br />end of October. <br />Precipitation in Alamosa was 0.60 inches. 0.07 <br />inches below normal. Temperatures ranged from 9 degrees <br />to 71 degrees in Alamosa where the average monthly <br />temperature was 42.9 degrees, 0.1 degrees above normal. <br />Soil mOIsture conditions in the basin are rlQIN generally <br /> <br />good <br /> <br />Outlook <br />Snow pack in the higher elevations got a strong start <br />with significant snowfall at the higher elevations during the <br />third week of October. Correspondmg with the increased <br />precipitation during September and October were stream flow <br />levels much closer 10 historic averages Local streams are <br />still benefiting from rainstorms in September. Runoff in area <br />streams had been well below average in the basin since May. <br /> <br />Administrative/ManaQement Concerns <br />Reservoirs in the basin reduced outflows and began <br />storing inflow as the month came to a dose. Index flow on <br />the Rio Grande is now being routed to the State Line to meet <br />Rio Grande Compact delivery requirements. Water rights <br />drawing from the Conejos River and its tributaries will be <br />allowed to divert in-priority until about mid-November. <br />The Division Engineer has requested all owners of <br />irrigation wells to cease diversions from the wells as of <br />November 1. This request will remain in place until next <br />spring in an effort to prevent further draft from the basin's <br />depleted aquifers. <br />Now that the 2004 irrigation year is over, Water <br />Commissioners are busy creating diversion records. <br /> <br />Public Use Impacts <br />The weather was mild enough to allow a few ditches <br />to continue diversions for irrigation throughout the month. <br />However, enough snow fell in the mountains that Wolf Creek <br />ski area opened for business. <br /> <br />Nov-Q4 <br /> <br /> -- <br /> :j <br />i I <br />, <br />, <br />>, ~~I <br />~ <br />i <br /> , <br /> > I <br /> L _~ L <br /> - -. -. - - - - - - - <br /> -- <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />'<<lCfWUI#I. ~ R.~av,^",IER\'EItR <br /> <br />n~ <br /> <br />T _1 r--. <br /> <br />,-+ t/ <br /> <br />-+- !~.~ +- ~ <br />~ ---..--- .. <br />"oo~~1 /. <br />~ I :___~~ <br />:> .--- ---. <br />u ~OOJ -- -e-~'.--===- .----=t'-- -t- <br />--:::::::.--' I I <br />ot- I I I <br />O::l ~.,. Doc .... f-oD IMU> ...... <br /> <br />~~- <br />I <br />!=~- <br />. <br />~ <br />;tl!iOCOO <br /> <br />-+ <br /> <br />-+ <br /> <br />-+-'u:TI'!ll7) <br /> <br />.~""'" <br /> <br />..'" <br /> <br />."" <br /> <br />R6'fUi{NT"TlVE~ <br /> <br />~~r <br /> <br />,,= <br /> <br /> <br />----1 <br /> <br />I <br />. <br />~ \5ClD' <br />. <br />, <br />'" IO,ClD!-- <br />! <br />, <br /> <br /> <br />-.-4 <br />- ~ <br />....... <br /> <br />.=!-- <br /> <br />,L <br /> <br />"".... <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />.~lOO\c:a..... <br /> <br />.~'"'"" <br /> <br />, <br />