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<br />Rio Grande Basin <br />SWSI value (0.1) indicates that basin water supplies were near normal for October. At the end <br />of October storage in Platoro, Rio Grande, and Santa Maria reservoirs totaled 49% of nonnal. <br />Precipitation in Alamosa was 0.60 inches--0.07 inches below normal. Soil moisture conditions <br />in the basin are now generally good. <br /> <br />Gunnison Basin <br />The SWSI value (-1.0) indicates that for October basin water supplies were slightly below <br />nonnal. Streamflows at the gaging station at Uncompahgre River near Ridgeway were 110 cfs, <br />as compared to the long-tenn average of 87 cfs. Storage in Taylor Park, Crawford, and Fruitland <br />reservoirs totaled 90% of normal as of the end of October. <br /> <br />Colorado Basin <br />The SWSI value (0.7) indicates that October basin water supplies were near nonnal. Flow at the <br />gaging station near Dotsero was 1,197 cfs, as compared to the long-term average of 1,303 cfs. <br />Storage in Green Mountain, Ruedi, and Williams Fork reservoirs totaled 84% of average at the <br />end of October. <br /> <br />Yampa/White Basin <br />The SWSI value (0.7) indicates that water supplies were near normal for the end of October. <br />Stream flows at the gaging station at Yampa River at Steamboat were 176 cfs, as compared to <br />the average of 136 cfs. Precipitation in October continued to be well above average for the <br />second month in a row making a very good start for the winter season of 2004. <br /> <br />San Iuan/Dolores Basin <br />The SWSI value (1.5) indicates that October water basin supplies were near nonnal. Flow at the <br />gaging station at Animas River near Durango was 501 cfs, as compared to the long-tenn average <br />of 376 cfs. Most streams showed flows exceeding their averages. Storage in McPhee, <br />Vallecito, and Lemon reservoir totaled 89% of normal at the end of October. <br /> <br />Nolan Doeskin. Colorado State Universitv. Colorado Climate Center <br />Mr. Doeskin commented the good snows last winter and cold temperatures with the snow- <br />covered valleys were very good for improving our drought situation. He mentioned that the end <br />of August was very dry this year as well as the dry weather this summer on the western slope. <br />Mr. Doeskin stated that the month of September brought wanner temperatures to the eastern <br />plains and cooler and wet weather on the western slope. He stated that we have 30% <br />precipitation now which is above average for this water year which happens only one in ten <br />years. Mr. Doeskin also mentioned that there has been average precipitation in October for the <br />last 109 years statewide. He further said that the eastern plains started out wet, but ended up dry <br />in October. <br /> <br />Mr. Doeskin said that the 3-Month SPI from August through October is near average to above <br />average; the 12-Month SPI shows most the state near average; and, the 48-Month SPI shows the <br />state in a significant drought lasting for four years up to this October which is now in a 30% <br />drought, which is the lowest it has been since a year and a half ago. He said that it is acting like <br />this is a short drought if the moisture trend continues, but if the drought continues with the next <br />dry 12 months, the Rio Grande and the South Platte will be the most vulnerable based on low <br />precipitation. <br />