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GUNNISON BASIN Basinwide Condillons Assessment The SWSI value of +0.7 indicates that for March the basin water supplies were above normal The Natural Resources Conservation Service reports that April 1 snowpack is 94% of normal. Flow at the gaging station Uncompahgre River near Ridgway was 52 cfs. as compared to the long-term average of 61 cfs. Storage in Taylor Park.. Crawford, and Fruitland reservoirs totaled 101% of normal as of the end of March. Outlook March has been a much beller month for the Gunnison Basin. as several storms dumped a significant amount of snowfall in the mountain areas. As a result. the snowpack percentages have increased noticeably. The lower area of the valleys also received some useful rainfall. Administrallve/ManaQement Concerns Division 4 seems to be in the middle between the above-average north part of the state and the dry south. However, the storms in March evened out the distnbulton across the basin, and as of April 10, the basin wide average was 100% of normal. The Upper Gunnison drainage looks great with 106%. the Tomichi close behind at 97%. The Lake Fork of the Gunnison River is doing much better at 1100A, The Grand Mesa is averaging 95%. far better than last month's 70%. The Uncompahgre basin is near normal The San Mrguel is the lowest drainage with an average of 84% of average. The April first forecast is in. which is the first truly meaningful forecast of the spring and summer runoff amounts. The USBR is still predictmg Blue Mesa Reservoir will fill. The reservoirs on Grand Mesa should mostly fill. especially after the large carryover from last season. Even Taylor Park. Reservoir should come close to filling. and all other reservoirs in the Gunnison Basin should also fill. For those that have been watching Lake Powell and the compact issues raised by the recent drought. the inflow is forecasted for 97% of normal. The lake should gain signifICant storage and rise 30 to 35 feet this year. especially from the inflows from the Colorado the Green Rivers that have above.normal snowpack numbers. Public Use The water using public should be relieved to see near-normal snowpack amounts in the basin. The higher flows will also benefit the many recreational users of stream and lakes in this area Apr-06 ~--- ", I .. -" i~! ~ -.. 3 . , ~ ... " . ... ~ ,.. .. .. - - - - - - - - - - -- lUD.P~ ~ ~ ~l).'''Y FLOoV8'I'1MlER'It.M ~~. ~ ,X1001. + I , 5"~' ~ 2lIllXl ~ -1 +- " .,... - - . ~15.llXl; __:~~ .... ~ ~ ~"~~7"'/ -"- ot , . - u ~OOI 1 t + -l --1 r 6