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WSP04526
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Last modified
7/29/2009 10:30:54 PM
Creation date
10/12/2006 12:24:58 AM
Metadata
Fields
Template:
Water Supply Protection
File Number
8210.137
Description
Colorado River Basin-Colorado River Basin Organizations/Entities-Colorado River Forecast Committee
Date
5/1/1992
Author
USDA, USDC, NOAA,NWS
Title
Water Supply Outlook for the Western United States
Water Supply Pro - Doc Type
Report/Study
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<br />Precipitation totals for the first six <br />month" of the season (October through <br />April) are about 96 percent of normal <br />with the range extending from 56 per- <br />cent near Leadville to 198 percent near <br />Fountain. <br />SlIowpack. Mountain snowpack on <br />May I is abouT 73 percent of average <br />for this time of year and 71 percent of <br />last year on the mainstem of the Arkan- <br />sas. On the tributaries, the snowpack <br />measures 41 percent of average and 40 <br />percent of last year. <br />Rl'senoir storages. which are 100 <br />percent of last year at this time and 126 <br />percent of average. rellect the lower <br />runoff during the latter part of last sea- <br />son and the near nomwl precipilation <br />during the current season. <br />Overall. decreased mountain sno\\'- <br />pack and near average precipilation <br />through April promise slightly below to <br />near nonnal water supplies for the 1992 <br />season. <br /> <br />Rio Grande Basin <br />The Rio Grande Basin water supply <br />outlook calls for below average runoff <br />over the majority of the basin in Colo- <br />rado. and average to much above aver- <br />age nmoff in the New Mexico portion <br />of the basin. <br />A relatively wann and dry month. <br />April produced earlier than expected <br />snowmelt. resulting in higher than aver- <br />age runoff and strei.unflow for the month. <br />However. total predicted seasonal run- <br />off has decre<lsed 10 to 30 percent from <br />the April I forecast. Streamflow vol- <br />umes are now expected to be 70 to 85 <br />perce III of average along the mainstcm <br />and tributaries flowing from the San <br />Juan Mountains in Colorado, and 100 ID <br />105 percent of avefi..lge along the llli.J.in- <br />stem and Rio Chanla in New Mexico. <br />Above to much above average flows, <br />115 to 180 percent of average. are pre- <br />dicted <.llong tribularil's flowing from <br />the Sangre De Cristos and Jemez moun- <br />tains. 'lnd in the Pecos River Basin. <br />Precipitation was much below aver- <br />age over the majority of the basin, with <br />[Owls ranging from a trace 1O 40 percent <br />of average. Ex.ceptions were located in <br />the vicinity of EI Vado Reservoir, <br />which observed near 150 percent of <br />average. and areas of soulhern New <br />Mexico, which reported 200 to 300 <br />...ercent of average. Seasonal totals now <br /> <br />fi.Hlg~ from 80 percent in the northwest- <br />ern areas of the basin. to near 250 per- <br />cenl of average below Elephant Butte <br />Reservoir in southern New Mexico. <br />Sno'H!pack. A largc portion of the <br />mountain snowpack was depleted dur- <br />ing the month of April. panicularly in <br />New Mexico. The remaining higher <br />elc\'alion snow in the Colorado ponion <br />of the basin is 61 percent of avemgc and <br />I> I percent of last May I. <br />Reservoir storage has increased at <br />most of the major lakes during the month <br />of April as a result of the earlier than <br />nonllal snowmelt runoff. Total storage <br />is now 104 percenl of average ( 114 <br />percent of last May I) in Colorado. and <br />191 percent of average (118 percent of <br />last year) in New Mexico. <br /> <br />Colorado Basin <br />The waler supply forecast for the upper <br />Colorado River Basin calls for near <br />avemge to below average volumes. <br />Forecasts have decreased 5 to 10 per- <br />cent in the upper Colorado mainstcm <br />and San Juan. and decreased 10 to 15 <br />percent in the Green River Basin. April- <br />July streamflow in the uppa Colomdo <br />is expected to range between 20 and 90 <br />percent of the 1961-1990 average. Near <br />record low volumes are expected in <br />many Green River tributaries this spJing. <br />Forecasts are not made for the lower <br />Colorado on May I. <br />Precipitation in the upper Colorado <br />during April was below to well below <br />average. Overall. the upper hasin re- <br />ceived roughly half of the average April <br />precipitation. The driest area Wi1S s~c- <br />tions of eastern Ulah. which received 25 <br />to 40 percent of average. October <br />through April precipitation for the upper <br />Colorado mainstem. S.m Juan. and Green <br />River drainages was 90, 95, and 75 <br />percent of average. respectively. <br />Snowpack. The mountain snowpack <br />in the upper Colorado d~creased sharply <br />during April as a result of much above <br />average lempefiltures. All low and mid- <br />dle elcvation snow had melted as of <br />May I. As of May I. the snow line in <br />the upper C%mdo was at Of ubo\'e <br />9500 feet. The May I snowpack in the <br />upper Colorado main stem, San J unn. <br />nnd Green River basins was 70. 58, and <br />35 percent of average, respectively. <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br />Streamflow during ^pril was above <br />average in the upper Colorado main- <br />stem and San Juan and below average in <br />the Green River. Lake Powell innow <br />during April was 892.000 acre-feet or <br />85 percent of average. <br />Because of the above average temper- <br />atures. the spring snowmelt is earlier <br />th.Ul usual this year. Lower elevation <br />basins have already peaked and the <br />mainstem Colorado is expected to peak <br />in late Mayas opposed to the typical <br />mid-June maximum. <br />Reservoir stori.lg~ in the upper Colo- <br />rado Basin was 62 percent of ci..lpacity <br />on April 30. Lake Powell held 13.9 <br />million acre-feel or 56 percent of capac- <br />ity on April 30. <br /> <br />Great Basin <br />The water supply outlook for the Great <br />Basin calls for much below average <br />streamtlows. This is the sixth consecu- <br />tive year of below average runoff in the <br />basin, and could potentially he the worst <br />in some areas. Record low slreamtlow <br />volumes are expected in some areas of <br />northem Utah ..md northern Nevada. In <br />southem Ulah. much below average <br />runoff is expected throughout most of <br />the Sevier Basin. <br />Precipitation. The dry pattern affect- <br />ing northern Utah throughout the spring <br />extended into southern Utah during <br />April. Statewide precipitation <lIllOunts <br />ranged from as little as 5 percent of <br />average to nearly 50 percent. In north- <br />ern Utah. April precipitation. averaged <br />about 35 percent while the southem <br />portion of the sl<lte saw only .30 percenl. <br />Seasonal precipitation (October through <br />April) is dose to 70 percent of average <br />in northern Utah and about 100 percenl <br />in southern Ulah. <br />April pr~cipilation in the basins along <br />the east slope of the Sierr<l was only <br />aboul 10 percent of average. The month- <br />ly precipitation in the Humboldt Basin <br />was about 15 percent of average. Sea- <br />sonal precipitation since October I has <br />been about 50 percent of average in the <br />basins along the east slope of the Sierra <br />.md 70 percent of average in the Hum- <br />boldt Basin. <br />Snowpllck conditions throughout the <br />Great Basin remain well below average. <br />Due to the warm, dry weather. snow- <br />packs in Nevada and northern Utah <br />have become virtually non-existent. <br />
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