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<br />, <br /> <br />COLORADO BASIN <br /> <br />r' Basinwide Conditions Assessment <br />~ <br />The SWSI value of -3.0 indicates that for August the <br />basin water supplies were well below normal. Flow at the <br />gaging station Colorado River near Dotsero was 1,303 cis, <br />as compared to the long-term average of 1,819 cis. Storage <br />in Green Mountain, Ruedi, and Williams Fork reservoirs <br />totaled 86% of normal as of the end of August. <br />Natural stream flows are still well below average <br />throughout much of the basin as we head into September. <br />The Labor Day weekend's rain (and snow at higher <br />elevations) brought some tributaries up significantly, but only <br />temporarily. Low flows on the Eagle and Crystal Rivers have <br />forced the Colorado Water Conservation Board to place a <br />call for their instream flow rights. <br />Grand Junction had just recorded its second driest <br />summer on record. <br /> <br />Administrative/Manaaement Concems <br />The Shoshone hydropower plant finished repairs so <br />that the Colorado River mainstem call came on in mid-July. <br />This increased flows in the Upper Colorado River from about <br />300 to over 1000 cis, a much better flow regime for <br />recreational boaters and fishermen. <br />Denver Water made special releases out of Dillon <br />Reservoir over the Labor Day weekend, providing a few days <br />of good rafting on the Blue River while paying back Green <br />Mountain Reservoir for Dillon's out-of-priority storage earlier <br />in the year. <br /> <br />Public Use Imoacts <br />Labor Day weekend precipitation was significant in <br />the Colorado River basin, particularly in the western part of <br />the basin. This moisture was especially beneficial in lowering <br />the fire danger in much of the lower BLM public lands where <br />fire bans were subsequently lifted. It appears that the basin <br />escaped the summer without any major fire disasters, which <br />was quite forlunate considering the very dry fuel conditions <br />throughout most of the basin. <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />w <br />3 <br />< <br />> 0 <br />x <br />w <br />c <br />. <br />., <br />> <br />~ <br />. <br /> <br />3,000,000 <br />li <br />. <br />d> 2,500,000 <br />~ <br />g 2.000,000 <br />~ <br />!J;! 1,&Xl,OOO <br />~ <br />~ <br />::i 1,000,000 <br />~ <br />" <br /> <br />1100,000 <br />1 <br />. "''''' <br />. . <br />o <br />. <br />~ EO,em <br />. <br />" <br />m <br />~ 4O,(XX) <br /> <br />7 <br /> <br />Sep-04 <br /> <br />-~ <br /> <br />. <br /> <br /> <br />_Jln.f7J.>.8!l_JIn.OO.-.ol.lllr>42..l11'1-(O.wHliI <br />~,~ <br /> <br />COLORADO RIVER NR OOTSERO, R.OW BY WATER YEAR <br /> <br />3,500,000 <br /> <br />""'.000 <br /> <br /> I <br /> ,./ <br /> V <br /> / <br /> V - <br /> ~ /' <br />...... <br /> <br />o <br />Oct tbI Oec .Ian Feb Mml ApI1I May Ju'le J~ Aug Sept <br /> <br />__WET (1984) <br /> <br />--1:RY(2002) <br /> <br />~AVG <br /> <br />'*-"'" <br /> <br />REPFeiENTA~FE.SERvOPS <br /> <br />"".= <br /> <br />120,000 <br /> <br /> <br />"'.000 <br /> <br />o <br /> <br />Qa;nf.b,rdain <br /> <br />..... <br /> <br />""""'Fat< <br /> <br />IA\9.&'J1Cal1Eln1s <br /> <br />D6'31~CailJItS <br />