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<br />YAMPAlWHITE BASIN <br /> <br />Basinwide Conditions Assessment <br />The SWSI value of -1.8 indicates that for February <br />the basin water supplies were below normal. The Natural <br />Resources Conservation Service reports that March 1 <br />snowpack is 90% of normal. Flow at the gaging station <br />Yampa River at Steamboat was 82.5 cfs, as compared to <br />the long-term average of 98 cfs, <br />February brought much needed moisture to the <br />basin. Basin-wide, precipitation was 115% of average for the <br />month and totals 89% of average for the water year. This <br />was the first month since November that precipitation has <br />been above average, <br />At the end of February the snowpack for the North <br />Platte River Basin was 87% of average; for the Yampa River <br />Basin 93% of average; for the White River Basin 84% of <br />average; and for the Little Snake River 88%, all up about <br />12% from the previous month, <br /> <br />Outlook: <br />Along with the increase in the snowpack, stream <br />runoff predictions increased for most of the basins. The most <br />probable stream flow forecasts reported by the Natural <br />Resources Conservation Service are 59% of average for the <br />North Platte near Northgate. 80% of average for the Yampa <br />River near Maybell, 74% of average on the Little Snake near <br />Dixon, and the White River near Meeker stayed the same at <br />66% of average, The forecast runoff predictions are <br />significantly higher for the Yampa and Little Snake Rivers <br />than those published for February 1 of this year, but are still <br />well below average, <br />The increase in precipitation in February brought <br />hope that the much talked about EI Nino effects have finally <br />arrived, It is hoped that the recent pattern of storms will <br />continue through the rest of the winter season. <br /> <br />Administrative/Manaaement Concerns: <br />There are still concerns that the irrigation reservoirs <br />that were drawn down last summer will have trouble filling <br />this year. Their ability to fill will depend on the precipitation <br />received in the next two months, spring rains, and how early <br />the calls for administration are placed on the river systems, <br /> <br />Public Use Imoacts: <br />None at this time. <br /> <br />t' <br /> <br />Mar-03 <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />-"""'" <br /> <br /> <br />, <br />~ <br /> <br />~ <br />" <br />~ <br />'., <br /> <br />J <br /> <br />_.-..w...........IIrHlQ.Jlrr(XlJon.ClJ0r>Q2.-..o:l <br />~"... <br /> <br />Y!MJA RIVER AT STEMe::lo\T, R.ON BY WATER 'wEAR <br /> <br />100,cro <br /> <br /> <br />OO,OX> <br /> <br />j OO,OX> <br />~ 7O,cm <br />" <br />.60.0X> <br />~ <br />it 5O,OCO <br />~ 4O,0X> <br />g <br />!1 3O,OX> <br />1l 3O,0X> <br /> <br />1QOX> <br />o <br />'" "" <br /> <br />"" .... <br /> <br />... ...., "'" <br /> <br />--e-\'\ET(1964) <br /> <br />-tt--AVG *-:;003 <br /> <br />-+-[R((1rITT) <br /> <br />8 <br />