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<br />RIO GRANDE BASIN <br /> <br />Basinwide CondItions Assessment <br />The SWSI value of -1 5 indicates that for March the <br />basin waler supplies were below normal. The Natural <br />Resources Conservation Service reports that April 1 <br />snowpack IS 64% of normal. Flow" at the gaging statIOn Rio <br />Grande near Del Norte averaged 210 cfs (78% of normal). <br />The Conejos River near Mogote had a mean flow of 62 cfs <br />(79% of normal). Flow at the state line was 70010 of normal. <br />Weather condrtions in the San Luis Valley were once again <br />warmer and drier than normal until substantial snowstorms hit <br />the basin beginning on March 10". Alamosa received a near- <br />average 0.57 inches of preciprtation during the month. <br />Storage in Platoro. Rio Grande. and Santa Maria reservoirs <br />totaled 87% of normal as of the end of March. <br /> <br />Outlook <br />Significant snowstorms finally occurred in the basin <br />during March. These events slowed the quick melt the basin <br />was about to experience. added valuable snow pack. and <br />pushed snowpack levels above the dangerously low 2002 <br />levels. The chart of snowpack accumulation in the Rio Grande <br />basin had tracked eerily close to that of the 2001-02 winter. <br />The March snowstorms finally upgraded runoff conditionS to a <br />level similar to those in 1996. 2000 and 2003 Poor years. but <br />significantly better than 2002. Current NRCS forecasts still <br />predict runoff to be only 67% of average on the Rio Grande <br />near Del Norte and 68% of average for the ConeJOs near <br />Mogote. <br /> <br />Administratlve/ManaQement Concems <br />Rio Grande Compact accounting for the calendar year <br />2005 was approved at the Compact meeting held in EI Paso. <br />Texas in late March. Colorado over-delivered only 2,700 acre- <br />feet to the state line last year on an obligation of approximately <br />450,000 acre-feet. As of January 1, 2006 Colorado has an <br />accrued credrt of 4,700 acre.feet in Elephant Butte Reservoir. <br />This credit will help reduce the need to bypass water past <br />needy diverters this year. <br />Based on the current forecast. there Will likely be only <br />slight curtailment of water rights on the Rio Grande and the <br />Conejos River this irrigation season. <br /> <br />Apr-06 <br /> <br />------ <br /> <br /> " <br /> .. <br />i I <br /> I <br /> " 1" I~U!\ <br />~ <br />'. <br />. <br />, <br /> " <br />. <br />~ <br /> ~ <br /> ., <br /> '.' <br /> - - - - - - - - - - <br /> -- <br /> ~~l+loo.t.(R1E,FLOoV8'I'V"lER'\UIA <br /> m~ T <br /> <br />J'''''''' <br /> <br />)2111JlV. <br />~ <br />0t,~CIll. <br />- <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />l <br /> <br />L ----'-- <br /> <br />'" <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />,~ <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />"", <br /> <br />""''''' <br /> <br />-""'''''' <br /> <br />"" <br /> <br />"" <br /> <br />Public Use Impacts <br />Due to the dry soil conditIOns and anticipated low <br />runoff, diversions from area streams for irrigation began very <br />early this year. <br /> <br />D~, <br /> <br />,,~. <br /> <br />~2lI001' <br />i <br />;15.001. <br />" <br />. <br />~IO.OOI' <br />o <br /> <br />"",. <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />-"''''''''''''' <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />o <br /> <br /> <br />-.: <br /> <br />-.. <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br /> <br />- ~ <br /> <br />Ro_ <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />.~)3Jc.n',. <br /> <br />.3/J\(I;Ca.... <br />