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<br />RIO GRANDE BASIN <br /> <br />Basinwide Conditions Assessment <br />The SWSI value of 0_8 indicates that for April the <br />basin water supplies were near normal The Natural <br />Resources Conservallon Service reports that May 1 <br />snowpack is 102% of normal. Flow althe gaging statIOn Rio <br />Grande near Del Norte averaged 662 cfs (85% of normal). <br />The CooeJos River near Mogote had a mean flow of 271 cfs <br />(84% of normal). Flow 10 the state line was 68% of normal. <br />Storage in Platoro. Rio Grande. and Santa Maria reservoirS <br />totaled 55% of normal as of the end of April <br />Alamosa received above average precipitation of <br />1.05 inches dUring April and temperatures ranged from 19 <br />degrees to 73 degrees. <br />Snowstorms and cold temperatures brought the <br />early snowmelt to a sudden halt at the beginning of April. <br />Many ditches had to be restricted or shut off entirely after <br />only a few days of diversion <br /> <br />May-04 <br /> <br />-.- <br /> <br /> <br />Outlook <br />NRCS forecasts are now predICting runoff to be 87% of <br />average on the Rio Grande near Del Norte and 91% for the <br />Conejos near Mogote Despite the abundant snovvfall during <br />April. these forecasls were not changed from last month's <br />forecast. The best runoff in the basin is predicted for Costilla <br />Creek, Just south of San LUIS (96%). The lowest runoff, <br />compared to average, is expected on Saguache Creek (79<'10)_ <br />Overall, the expected runoff in the upper Rio Grande basin is far <br />above what was experienced the last two years <br /> <br />,. <br /> <br />~ ?I <br /> <br />,. <br /> <br />_..~___,..;S;____ <br />.-- <br /> <br />Administralive/ManaQement Concems <br />Presently, a portion of the native flow on the Rio <br />Grande is being curtailed from diversion by ditches in an effort <br />to meet Colorado's delivery requirement to the downstream <br />stales. This curtailment is passed directly to the state line It is <br />anticipated that water rights will continue to be curtailed the <br />entire summer on the Rio Grande and Conejos River drainages <br />to meet Colorado's obligatIOn. <br />Water users will have some water to work With this <br />year, After two consecutive years of poor stream flow <br />conditions, ditch riders and supenntendents will have to relearn <br />how to deal with a good runoff. <br /> <br />Public Use Impacts <br />Weather conditions during April prevented many <br />farmers from working in the fields as early as they would like <br />Despite the good stream flow forecasts, no destructive flooding <br />due to runoff IS anticipated this spring <br /> <br />~=. <br /> <br />l'llOGW<<~CEI.l.l:RTEFl(),IIjBVW<Tl3l'fE.AA <br /> <br />== <br />I <br />io= <br />< <br />, <br />o <br />;tlllO:O <br />. <br />2 <br />~2CD00l <br />, <br />, <br />, <br />u,OOo:ot . --. <br />.~ , <br />o+- . <br />~ - ~ <br /> <br />-.\'fllT937l <br /> <br />~= <br /> <br />~= <br /> <br /> <br />j <br />. <br />i '~a:(I <br />~ <br />. <br />';;'00:0. <br />I <br />, <br /> <br />,=, <br /> <br />0- <br /> <br />~- <br /> <br />.iIo.gtlJC<J-... <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />f <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />+ <br /> <br />it <br />, <br />/./ <br />< I, <br /> <br />, <br />. <br /> <br />.~!~. <br />. ~-.~ <br />.- <br /> <br />-------'-- --~ <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />.... <br /> <br />--- (Ro'.2lXJ2l <br /> <br />oA\oG -;!Dol <br /> <br />~SfNf"TMf4'~ <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />--j <br /> <br />.... <br /> <br />-- <br /> <br />.~"'- <br />