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<br />SAN JUAN/DOLORES BASIN <br /> <br />May-04 <br /> <br />Basinwide CondItions Assessment <br />The SINSI value of 0.8 indicates that for April the <br />basin water supplies were near normal. The Natural <br />Resources Conservation Service reports that May 1 <br />snowpack is 85% of normal. Flow at the gaging station <br />Animas River near Durango was 1,002 cfs. as compared to <br />the long-term average of 779 cfs Storage in McPhee, <br />Vallecito, and Lemon reservoirs totaled 86% of normal as of <br />the end of May, <br />April is typically dry in Southwestern Colorado as the <br />three spring months do not normally experience much <br />precipitation. This year was different. MOisture out of the <br />southwest funneled into the area early in the month bringing <br />record precIpitation Durango had 2.6 inches in one day. and <br />a record 5.98 inches for the month. Other areas in the basin <br />received over 200% of normal precipitation. This had a <br />major effect on snow courses, especially in the La Plata and <br />Florida River basins. The predicted early runoff was delayed <br />Temperatures moderated to return to near-normal highS and <br />lows A hard freeze was not experienced. but cold days <br />were expenenced on April 12 and April 21. The total <br />precipitation left the water year accumulation (since October <br />1,2003) aI134% in Durango. <br />Reservoir storage remained below normal at Lemon <br />(73% of normal) and McPhee (79% of normal) However, <br />Vallecito Reservoir was storing 62,347 acre-feet (144% of <br />normal) with likely prospects of filling Reservoirs were <br />storing for longer periods of lime so that there is some <br />speculation thai favorable runoff would allow Lemon <br />Reservoir and Lake Durango to fill. McPhee and Navajo <br />Reservoirs should gain substantial amounts but will probably <br />not Fill. <br />River flows increased to total better than 90% of <br />normal. The Animas River exceeded the average during the <br />month with a peak of 1,210 cfs on April 8, <br />Meadow and grass growth has been excellent across <br />the basin and spring flows have rebounded in many areas <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />,. <br /> <br />~ <br />,. <br /> <br />,. <br /> <br />-- <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />. <br />...,.11&____.-41....".-..<1/'......:o........ <br /> <br />.......'- <br /> <br />Outlook <br />The month of April may have broken the worst <br />impacts of the drought over the past four years. However, II <br />remains to be seen whether a conhnued pattern of <br />precipitation will keep feeding the impacled land and <br />vegetation, <br /> <br />ANI.lIlSIfI,(R"I\D.JW-tD.R.Oo'J(J'rWl-Tm'rEl'fl <br /> <br /> ~,CW <br /> .offi,lXD_ ~ t- <br />1i~'cw f <br />j"'''''' <br />~- :m,OD _ 1 . <br />0 <br />~znlXD ;7J7 <br />~m(llll <br />" <br />~ --. , <br />:>I5:lOll_ , . <br />, ~?-,~ <br />G1OO.(lII ~. ~ <br /> ~- . ~ . <br /> ~(lIIr _I ___.~ - , , <br /> -,< .- .-------... <br /> , -. - <br /> , <br /> Qo '" D< ~ ... - '" ... <br /> "'V.loT(l~ ."""", ~"'" . ~ <br /> <br />,~~ <br /> <br />-~ <br /> <br />'i2~00J <br />. <br />! <br />.~~ <br />I <br />! '!IOOOJ. <br />I <br />~ 'OOl.'ClQ <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />ltE_st..-r"nvERtSE:1'lYOIAli <br /> <br />~~ <br /> <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />--1 <br /> <br />II1II <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />,- <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />..'ll":JD~ <br /> <br />."'>>'DOc-. <br />