SWSIReportMarch2005

• Title: Colorado Water Supply Conditions Update
• Date: 3/18/2005
• Description: Presentation
• Basin: Statewide
• Drought Mitigation - Doc Type: Presentation

GUNNISON BASIN

Basinwide Conditions Assessment
The SWSI value of 2.6 indieates that for February the
basin water supplies were above normal. The Natural
Resourees Conservation Serviee reports that March 1
snowpaek was 133% of normal. Flow at the gaging station
Uneompahgre River near Ridgway was 66 efs, as eompared
to the long-term average of 45 efs. Storage in Taylor Park,
Crawford, and Fruitland reservoirs totaled 99% of normal as
of the end of February.
February is normally the seeond driest month of the
year, but 2005 brought a warmer and wetter February than
usual. In some areas sueh as the Grand Mesa, there is
aetually eoneern about flooding. This is not something we
have seen in quite a few years.

Outlook
Irrigators are looking forward to full supply this year.
In the Cedaredge area, there may be a short time this spring
when free water is available. This rarely oeeurs. The

drought eonditions have eaused a lot of tension among water
users, but it is not felt this year. The hope is that the storms
keep eoming and we don't get a Mareh like last year, where
the unusually warm temperatures and laek of precipitation
drastieally redueed the snowpaek levels.
The average for the three snow eourses on the
Grand Mesa is 166% of normal. This should provide enough
water to fill up all of the reservoirs, which hasn't happened
sinee the late 1990' s.
The USSR is still foreeasting that Blue Mesa
Reservoir will fill this year and still have a small amount of
extra water to release for flushing flows in the Slaek Canyon.
Taylor Park Reservoir should eome elose to filling also.

Mar-05

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