BOARD00109

• Board Meeting Date: 3/26/2003
• Description: State Engineer's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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SAN JUAN/DOLORES BASIN

Mar-03

, Basinwide Conditions Assessment
The SWSI value of -1.4 indicates that for February
the basin water supplies were below normal. The Natural
Resources Conservation Service reports that March 1
snowpack is 77% of normal. Flow at the gaging station
Animas River near Durango was 153 cfs, as compared to
the long-term average of 212 cfs. Storage in McPhee,
Vallecito, and Lemon reservoirs totaled 58% of normal as of
the end of February.
The month of February began with generally very
warm temperatures. The high in Durango during the month
was 570 on the 1 st.
The lack of snow across the basin until the 13th
resulted in a decline in the mountain snowpack with fears of
a second record drought year being voiced by local water
users. However, rain on the 13th &14th served to increase
snow water content and soil moisture across the entire area.
On the 25th, an additional storm moved in bringing over 1.5
inches of precipitation to Durango. The mountains received
additional accumulations with the plateau and mesa areas
also receiving significant moisture.
The Dolores drainage and the La Plata mountains
show the highest snowpack totals.
Reservoirs remain low at around 60% of normal.
Stream flows remain at around 71 % of normal and have not
changed much since last month.

Outlook
There is hope that water supplies will be sufficient
for basic early season irrigation with some storage for a
small late season run later in the year.

Administrative/ManaQement Concerns
A call was made to administer the La Plata River
compact at the earliest allowed date of February 15. A
reservoir call was made a week later for storage water out of
the Dolores River.

Public Use Impacts
Snow quality for skiing has improved considerably
with the additional snowpack.

SMl HSTtRf

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lOIIH/Y6'R

.b/lllMAS RVER I'R ll..RA/Iro FLON BY WATER Y&R

250,000

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~ 150,000
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~ 100,000
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a 50,000

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FEb

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REPRESENTATIVE RESERVOIRS

300,000

250,000

1200,000

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~ 150,000
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~ 100,000
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50,000

McPhee

Vallecito

Lemon

.AIIQ. 02128 Contents

I) 02128/03 Contents

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