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<br />Drought can be initiated by either a lack of moisture from <br />one or more of these predominant supplies. or a lack of <br />upward \'ertical motion to harvest the water vapor from the <br />atmosphere. Due to natural variations in our climate. single <br />~a!>On droughts over wme portion of the state are quite <br />common. However. with so much climatic diversity and with <br />such a variety of moisture sources and precipitation <br />mechanisms. it is historically rare for all areas to be deficienl <br />at the ume time. For example. in any gi\'cn year. winter <br />snowpack accumulation may be subpar in some portion of <br />the mountains. but summcr stonns may compen~te, <br />Likewise. it is very common to have \-'cry dry winters east of <br />the mountains. but a few spring storms can make up for <br />winter deficits. <br /> <br />r <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />.Water in (he Balance. <br /> <br />As summer comes loan end. the westerly winds aloft <br />gradually increase again and low level moisture from the <br />south and east retreat The fall is often characterized by <br />long periods of sunny. dry weather. Occasionally. however. <br />Pacific moisture reaches western Colorado, sometimes in <br />dramatic fashion as moisture from dissipated Pacific <br />hurricanes sweeps northeastward. Infrequent but occa- <br />sionally very heavy fall rains are an important part of the <br />climate of weslem Colorado. A few storms will also <br />harvest Gulf of ~le:(ico moisture over eastern Colorado, <br /> <br />These seasonal weather pallems and the shifting of <br />moisture sources through the year arc a natural part of <br />Colorado's variable climate, In combination with the <br />topography of the state. the result is seasonal precipitation <br />pallems that differ from north to south. from west to cast <br />and also locally as a function of elevation, <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />Multiple season and widespread droughts do happen. <br />howe\'er. and we must be aware of their potential. <br /> <br />]\Iajor Water Demands in the Seven Colorado Water Divisions <br /> <br />The figure below shows the State of Colorado divided into the seven Water Divisions that are used for water right <br />administration and management purposes by the Colorado Division of \Vater Resources. These Water Divisions COlTC- <br />:<opond with lht: major river basins in the state, with some oftbe smaller river basins lumped together into a single division <br />(e,g. the San Juan and Ddort:s Rivers in the southwestern comer of the stale, and tht: N('rth Platte with lhe Yampa-White). <br />Additional informalion on major water demands by basin available in Watt'r. Colorado's Prt'ciOllS ResOlm:e. 2nd Edition. <br /> <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />Prffipilalion <br />Uppu' Wellale ~o\'.."l.iY. Dry nud-Jun.Sc:p <br />Wenesl area In Col()f3do lone of ''''0) <br />w....t':"'o.;learwl"lordry!.easons, <br />'-tajor Ik'mand~ <br />Dryland CI'O(K. h"l"~IOCk. ~k.img and other <br />Wlnlefsporn, <br /> <br /> <br />J'rTcipilalion <br />Upf'lr' Wtl Lale:-':ov-Apr.Dry Jun- <br />mid.Jut <br />1.o..rr:~oclearv.elordry~n. <br />'-lajorl>emalMh <br />Se,eralorColorado'sbigg~ls~i <br />resons,rafting.vine>'ards.dryland <br />cropsmd~lurerOfCatlk, <br /> <br />. <br />ram..-" illl' <br /> <br />Prrcipilalion <br />Uppt" WeI nud-~o".~\;1f. Dry <br />mid.May-nud.Jun <br />w..t',: ~osigruficanlv.tlseason_ <br />DryIaIe~lay_Jlm.shghtlY"''fimid. <br />Jul-Aug <br />'-I4I.1or Ik'mand~ <br />Or)1.:mJ crops. ~kilng,tne sporu, <br /> <br />Prn-ipilalion <br />VPf't',: We1De<::.~lar,'t late Jul- <br />tarly-OcI.Or)'May-earlyJul& <br />nud.OcI.nud.~0,Wel1eSIMl:30f <br />Color.tdoIOfltofr.>.oJ. <br />w...u' Wel De(;.~bf & lale Jul. <br />early.Oct. Dry M3y-early Jul & <br />mid-Oct.rmd-So" <br />'-'ajor DnnalMh <br />Or)'lmd crops. com. apples. <br />l\3ti.:>n.1.lparb.raftlng.sknng <br /> <br />Precipitalion <br />L-'pf'lr Wel Dee-Apr. Dry Jun <br />& Aug-Ocl <br />1.0..",- Dry;o..;ov-~b_,Wel <br />Apr__Jul. <br />'-Iajorfk-mands <br />~lumcipDlI1ndu~lnaJ. I 4 <br />mllhonimg3Iedacrt:s.df)'lalld <br />crops fur ti\'tsIOd.. ~egelahlel<. <br />fhhmg.hllnung.wlldlift. <br /> <br />Southl'llllle <br /> <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br />.\rk:u...as <br /> <br />Prrcipilalion <br />L'pf'<'r: We! fkc-~lar& rmd.Jul. <br />earl) OcI,Dry M3y-m,d-Jul <br />l~>"t" Dry"'o~-Apr, Wtlnud. <br />Jul.Scp(Dnest;Ue.1.ofColoradol <br />~bjof ~mand.~ <br />~lostlycropslmgalCdwllh <br />groundv.:uer from San LUIs <br />Vlllo:yaqulfer <br /> <br />Prn-ipilluion <br />L'pp"'f" 'liel Dee,Mar & Jut. <br />A...g. Dry~b)'.Jun <br />l..'''a: Dt)-;o..;o~.Feb, Wel <br />May-A...g <br />~Iaj"r ~mand.~ <br />SorrcmllnIClpallind...stn1l. <br />dr)1.1ndcmps1l'lc1udingcOlll. <br />lIblfa.mdpa.,t\l~,3fld <br />\~ge1ablesand rrclons. <br /> <br />12 <br />