SWSIReportSept2004

• Title: Water Supply Conditions Update
• Date: 9/21/2004
• Description: Presentation
• Basin: Statewide
• Drought Mitigation - Doc Type: Presentation

ARKANSAS BASIN

Basinwide Conditions Assessment
The SWSI value of -2.2 indicates that for August the
basin water supplies were near normal. Flow at the gaging
station Arkansas River near Portland was 491 cfs, as
compared to the long-term average of 981 cfs. Storage in
Turquoise. Twin Lakes, Pueblo. and John Martin reservoirs
totaled 63% of normal as of the end of August.
Precipitation in the month of August triggered two
summer conservation storage events in John Martin
Reservoir resulting in over 15.000 acre-feet of timely storage
for the reservoir, which had fallen to below 6,000 acre-feet of
total storage out of a capacity of 345,000 acre-feet. A
summer storage event in John Martin Reservoir occurs
when the gage inflows are expected to exceed the demand
by ditches in Colorado below the reservoir by at least 500
cubic feet per second for a 24-hour period. The precipitation
also helped with irrigation supplies for irrigation ditches in
many areas of the valley.

Administrative/Manaoement Concems
Not all of the rainfall events were considered positive
occasions as many farmers had hail damage to crops, and
some crops. such as melons, were at a critical growth stage
where potential damage could occur from conditions that are
too wet.

Public Use Imoacts
The Colorado Department of Parks delivered over
1,000 acre-feet of transmountain water to the permanent
fisheries pool in John Martin Reservoir in August in addition
to the 15.000 acre-feet of conservation storage that occurred
to improve the recreational opportunities at the reservoir.

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