SWSIReportApril2004

• Title: Colorado Water Supply Conditions Report
• Date: 4/13/2004
• Description: Presentation
• Basin: Statewide
• Drought Mitigation - Doc Type: Presentation

GUNNISON BASIN

Basinwide Conditions Assessment
The SWSI value of -1.6 indicates that for March the
basin water supplies were below normal. The Natural
Resources Conservation Service reports Ihat April 1
snowpackis 74% of normal. Flow at the gaging station
Uncompahgre River near Ridgway was 102 cfs, as
compared to the long.term average of 60.7 cfs Storage in
Taylor Park, Crawford. and Fruitland reservoirs totaled 115%
of normal as of the end of March.
The overall snowpack for the Gunnison Basin on
March 1, 2004 was 102 percent of normal. On March 31,
the amount had fallen to 74 percent of normal. March was
an extremely dry month, and the snowpack remained
relatively unchanged during the first 2/3 of the month. But
during the last third, the record warm weather actually
started some of high snow 10 melt and the snowpack
decreased.

Administrative/ManaQement Concerns
The record heat in the last part of the month was not
helpful, and much of the snow at the elevations between
6000 and 9000 feet has already melted. When this happens,
the water is not utilized by the irrigators and simply runs
down stream, Some irrigators. however, saw the trend and
started to irrigate early. Many water users are seeing the dry
March/April trend that occurred in 2002 and are becoming
concerned. Soil moisture is much higher than in 2002, and
the crops are off to a good start.
The USBR is forecasting that Taylor Park and Blue
Mesa Reservoirs will not come close to filing this year. They
are trying to provide flow scenarios that will minimize
releases. They attempt to meet flow needs and obtain as
much storage as possible. It still does nol look as though a
call from Redland will occur this spring, but a call from the
Gunnison Tunnel still remains a possibility. Even though the
irrigation storage accounts for the Uncompahgre Valley
Water Users Association should still be full, If the flows drop
to extreme low levels. they will need to place a river call to
meet their system needs.

Public Use Imoacts
It is discouraging for water users to have such a
favorable snowpack drop so drastically. As one person asked
one of the Water Commissioners the other day, "Are we going
to have enough water this year?" He wisely replied "Yes,
since it's all we will gel. it will have to be enough.. Hopefully,
the basin (and entIre state) sill receive more moisture in April.

Apr.Q4

--

I
I
1
I i
{
i I

'.

,'I

; 'I
..
. '
,

,
~

>,

>1

,
-------
--

- - -

U'~~>_RIlI::lJM.'I:F\.ONavM~_

~= ~ - 1 ,-
I
n=l -+ t +-- --+-
i --1
'12500l1 --+ -
~
~21100l' -+ t'
g
.
~ 1~00l, , J
3
jlOOOlr -, -+
,
u
.= i -+
,. ~ ----L
'" ~ "" ~ 'e - ""
'I'Ef('_ -[Jl'(('W7'I -..," ...
~"'lM""~

lIlOOlT-

1Oro:Jt-

eaCD;). -
i '
i~=,
lClOOl._
.
.
tn=~
2ll00l.

1000lt-

6

"

I
i
I
i
I
--1
I
--j
-.J

~-..-~

--

"""'"

"-

.""'Il301Cct11r..

.J(JI,()Oea-