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<br />SAN JUAN/DOLORES BASIN <br /> <br />Basinwide Conditions Assessment <br />The SWSI value of -0.5 indicates that for March the <br />basin water supplies were below normal. The Natural <br />Resources Conservallon Service reports that April 1 <br />snowpack is 70% of normal Flow at the gaging station <br />Animas River near Durango was 582 cfs. as compared to <br />the long-term average of 304 cfs. Storage in McPhee. <br />Vallecito, and Lemon reservoirs totaled 78% of normal as of <br />the end of March. <br /> <br />Outlook <br />March was an uncharacteristically warm and dry <br />month in Southwestern Colorado With only 0.26 inch of <br />precipitation in Durango (14% of normal) and temperatures <br />7-10 degrees above normal, the snow in the lower <br />elevations melted out and ran off early. Many lower <br />elevations were drying out rapidly as spring breezes came <br />through the area <br />Stream runoff reflected these flows. Inflow to <br />Navajo Reservoir exceeded 1.000 cfs on both the San Juan <br />and Piedra Rivers for significant time periods. The Animas <br />River in Durango ran 195% of average total flows during he <br />month with a high flow of 1,190 cfs on March 26th. That <br />same day the Dolores River at Dolores ran 731 cfs and the <br />La Plata River averaged 119 cfs. Both of these stream gage <br />sites flowed well above 200% of average for March. The <br />excessive runoff reflected some significant melt in the high <br />country as well wilh many open areas appeanng on the <br />south slopes of the mountains. <br />The snow pack was noticeably diminished, falling <br />from near average 10 70% of normal at the end of the month. <br />Because of the early runoff. area reservoirs gained <br />significant quanlilies. Red Mesa Ward Reservoir filled and <br />VallecJto was 130% of normal storage capacity at the end of <br />March. An early run into Johnson Reservoir could be made <br />while demand is low on the La Plata River. This supplied <br />greatly needed domestic supplies for the Lake Durango area. <br />The San Juan-Chama diversion began running very early <br />this year, <br />With the early April storms and the early March <br />runoff, it appeared that prospects are good 10 expecl a good <br />runoff and a full supply of water for use in some areas of the <br />Division. <br /> <br />Apr-04 <br /> <br />-- <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br /> <br />. <br />, <br />. <br />~ . <br />. <br />z <br />-..1 <br />~ . <br />>; <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />_____.-.al...-.o..-.a:t.-..n......:.l <br /> <br />..-.- <br /> <br />1H.'i'SIM:RIoRD.HUnf\.O,VBYWl.ltR'tEAR <br /> <br />ZllIlllr------,.-- <br /> <br />T <br /> <br />r <br /> <br />+ <br /> <br /> <br />'''''''I -+- <br />1'-1-1 . '/ <br />1:~:-;-~Pf1 <br />o~I~..J <br /> <br />-+ <br /> <br />'" - ""' ~ ~ - .... <br /> -....."'" """'" "'" -"" <br /> llf.PRU.EOfTATJ4AESEI'MlR$ <br />~~, - <br />2~00l+ =1 <br />l~~' <br />f,~.OOl ,- -- <br />j <br />! 100llDO r-- " <br />!oOllDO.- --- <br />" ~ - ....J <br /> - ,- - <br /> .~~ ~'eo-.. .~'-9lc...-a <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />. <br />