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003346 PRECIPITATION: PRECIPITATION RECORDED AT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATIONS REPORTED BELOW NORMAL AMOUNTS DURING APRIL FOR ALL OF COLORADO, EXCEPT FOR THE RIO GRANDE BASIN, WHICH WAS 37 PERCENT ABOVE AVERAGE. APRIL WAS THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE ~ONTH FOR_ ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION IN THE SAN LUIS VALLEY, AND THEY ARE CURRENTLY NEARLY 40 PERCENT ABOVE AVERAGE FOR THE I I WATER YEAR TOTAL. PRECIPITATION IN THE SOUTH PLATTE I AND ARKANSAS BASINS AVERAGED ONLY ABOUT SO PERCENT OF NORMAL. SLIGHTLY BELOW AVERAGE PRECIPITATION WAS RECEIVED THROUGHOUT THE GUNNISON, COLORADO, AND SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO BASINS. PRECIPITATION IN NEW MEXICO WAS HIGHLY VARIABLE, RANGING FROM A HIGH OF 227 PERCENT OF AVERAGE AT ALBUQUERQUE, TO A LOW OF ONLY 24 PERCENT OF AVERAGE AT CUBA. RESERVOIRS: WATER STORED IN THE REGION'S MAJOR RESERVOIRS IS ABOVE AVERAGE FOR MAY 1. AN AVERAGE QF 09 RESERVOIRS I, IN COLORADO INDICATES THAT CURRENT STORAGE LEVELS ARE , I 149 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. NEW MEXICO'S RESERVOIR " STORAGE LEVELS ARE NEARLY SEVEN TIMES THE LONG-TERM AVERAGE. THIS IS 85 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL USABLE CAPACITY. THE HIGHER STORAGE LEVELS SHOULD BE ABLE TO HELP RELIEVE ANY SHORTAGES LATER IN THE SUMMER DUE TO THE BELOW NORMAL RUNOFF. CURRENTLY, THE SOUTH PLATTE AND GUNNISON BASINS ARE THE LOWEST IN COLORADO AT 100 AND 107 PERCENT OF AVERAGE STORAGE, RESPECTIVELY. STREAMFLOW: STREAMFLOW FORECASTS HAVE DECREASED FROM LAST MONTH THROUGHOUT THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PORTIONS OF I COLORADO. FORECASTS IN THE YAMPA, WHITE, AND NORTH r. I PLATTE RIVER BASINS ARE THE LOWEST, AT ONLY SLIGHTLY MORE THAN HALF OF THE FLOW EXPECTED IN A NORMAL YEAR. STREAMFLOW PROSPECTS IN THE COLORADO, GUNNISON, AND SOUTH PLATTE RIVER BASINS ARE ALSO BELOW AVERAGE. THE RIVER BASINS OF SOUTHERN COLORADO AND NORTHERN NEW MEXICO ARE ALL FORECAST TO FLOW WELL ABOVE AVERAGE THIS YEAR. SEASONAL VOLUMES ALONG THE MAIN STEM OF THE RIO GRANDE RIVER IN NEW MEXICO ARE FORECAST AT MORE THAN TWO TIMES THE AVERAGE. 3