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. Colorado Drought Hazard water suppliers in southwestern Colorado had to haul water. Fish habitat in the northwestern portion of the state was affected due to reservoir water depletio";. Several fish kills were noted where extreme tempera- tures and low stream flows existed. Wildfires were noted in most areas of the state. The Boulder Canyon fire was a result of extremely dry forests and high temperatures. The 1989 Drought Relief Bill helped ag- riculture and livestock businesses to recoup some of their losses. Water Supply in Colorado Due to the geographic proximity of the Rocky Moun- tains, precipitation along the Front Range and eastern plains averages only 10-14 inches per year. The Rockies bleed most of the moisture from weather sys. tems moving east from the Pacific Ocean. Conse- quently, the mf\jority of water in the area comes from the spring runoff of mountain snowpack. In a good runoff year, there is a plentiful supply of water in stream beds from April to July, although the later summer months always experience a reduction in stream flows. Colorado Drought Response Plan In 1981, the Colorado Drought Response Plan was published in response to serious and costly water shortages. The purpose of the plan is to provide an ef- fective and systematic means for state government to deal with emergency drought problems that may occur over the short-tenn or long-tenn. Colorado was one of the first states to develop a drought response plan and the plan generated interest both nationally and internationally. The plan institu- tionalizes drought monitoring, early detection report- ing, impact assessment and response action. Drought contingency planning is based on a series of inter- agencylintergovernmental task forces chaired by state agency personnel and designated state response agen- cies. In order to enable Colorado to more effectively deal with the complexities of emergency drought response management, an assessment system has been estab- lished which is separate from the response system. Assessment Assessment of the threat is carried out by a Water Availability Task Force and, when activated, a series of impact task forces: agriculture, municipalities, busi- ness, and many others. The plan emphasizes inter- agency/intergovernmental/private sector networking. Two indices are used to depict drought severity: . Colorado Palmer Drought Severity Index - because of its nationwide significance and accep- tance. . Surface Water Supply Index (SWSI) . devel. oped jointly by the Division of Water Resources and the u.s. Soil Conservation Service for use in Colorado since the nationally-produced Palmer Index did not adequately address all Colorado needs. Response The response system functions through established governmental channels until the Inter-Agency Coordi- nating Group is activated by the Governor's Proclama- tion of a drought emergency. Responsibility for meeting drought needs remains with established gov- ernmental agencies. When executive branch agency budgets are expended, drought needs are reported to the Legislature through the Governor's office. Water Availability Task Force Colorado's experience to date with plan implementa- tion has been in the areas of monitoring and assess- ment. Since its inception in 1981, the Water Availability Task Force has met at least four times a year (if not more frequently) to review water availabil- ity conditions. The Water Availability Task Force is comprised of representatives ofthe following agencies: . Office of Emergency Management . Division of Water Resources . Office of the State Climatologist . Soil Conservation Service (USDA) . National Weather Service . United States Geological Survey 15