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<br />Mike Gillespie. Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) <br />Mr. Gillespie reported that our SNOTEL precipitation for the month of October was fairly wet. <br />He said that the San Juans in particular and some of the northern Front Range and northern <br />mountains had good moisture. Mr. Gillespie explained that for the month of November the <br />southern part of the state was doing pretty well to above average for precipitation. <br /> <br />Mr. Gillespie stated that as of today, our precipitation statewide is above average and a little <br />better than last year. He said that the month of November normally contributes 18-19% of <br />precipitation for the total water year. Mr. Gillespie also mentioned that our snowpack is at 92% <br />of average statewide for this date of November, and that we have about 18% of our peak which <br />is average for the water year at this time. <br /> <br />Mr. Gillespie explained that our reservoir storage is at 78% of average statewide, 110% of last <br />year, and that it is below average in all basins but has been improving the last few months. He <br />stated that the Arkansas Basin hasn't recovered since 2002; the Colorado Basin rebounded last <br />year but is still not above average; the Gunnison Basin will probably exceed average; the Rio <br />Grande Basin is still declining since 2001 and not improved since then; the South Platte Basin is <br />on an upward trend and is improving; and the San Juans and Dolores dropped in 2002 but has <br />slightly improved since then--slow and steady improvement. <br /> <br />Keith Vander Horst. Division of Water Resources. Water Supplv Conditions Update <br />Mr. Vander Horst reported that the SWSI numbers that were negative the last few years are <br />getting better and back toward the "0" scale. He said that the streamflow gauges are a major <br />contributor to the November 1 values. October streamflows were better and getting close to <br />average and boosted the SWSI numbers up. Mr. Vander Horst said there were only two negative <br />basins now (the Gunnison and the Arkansas), and the rest were above "0." He said this doesn't <br />mean the drought is over, but it is encouraging. <br /> <br />Mr. Vander Horst also said there is not a lot going on now, because it is the end of the irrigation <br />season. The South Platte Basin streamflow is above average now; the Arkansas flows are <br />slightly below average; the Rio Grande flows are recovering to almost nonnal; the Gunnison <br />flows are a little above average; the Colorado River flows are close to normal; and, the Yampa <br />streamflows are above nonnal. <br /> <br />---The following is a brief water supply conditions update. (A complete supply update was <br />distributed at the meeting and appears on the CWCB webpage at www.cwcb.state.co.us) <br /> <br />South Platte Basin <br />SWSI value (1.5) indicates that for October the basin water supplies were above nonnal. <br />Reservoir storage was 100% of normal at of the end of October. Storage levels in the major <br />plains reservoirs: Julesburg, North Sterling, and Prewitt are at 31 % of capacity. Cumulative <br />storage in the major upper-basin reservoirs of Cheesman, Eleven Mile, Spinney, and Antero is at <br />75% of capacity. <br /> <br />Arkansas Basin <br />SWSI value (-0.8) indicates that basin water supplies were near nonnal for October. Stream <br />flows at the gaging station near Portland were 311 cfs, as compared to the long-tenn average of <br />406 cfs. Storage in Turquoise, Twin Lakes, Pueblo, and John Martin reservoirs totaled 61 % of <br />nonnal at the end of October. <br />