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<br />.' \/ <br />? <br /> <br />Jf:!/(j:rw('.... <br />7, "J,.IC!......~\), <br />I _t)0~ 7"/<'f?9,,:-, <br />'" '7/ ,e)\. <br />WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK FOR UPPER COLORADO BASINCo.1~V~ " l.;p.. pj" . <br />"'S::"'", rr;,qr....... - ) <br />-'1"/ UQ:-'" <br />as of April 1, 1985 '/);--'I,/v.-l'<)." <br />",/ ,) '1:-1;>" <br />'()<I,?/) <br /> <br />COLORADO RIVER above CISCO, UTAH: The water supply outlook for the Colorado <br />River remains above normal with the highest runoff volumes anticipated in the <br />Gunnison and Dolores River Basins. Streamflow forecasts increased slightly on <br />the Gunnison and Dolores Basins while the forecasts over the rest of the basin <br />showed little change from those issued on March 1st. <br /> <br />000775 <br /> <br />March precipitation was near normal to slightly below in the upper reaches of <br />the Colorado drainage and much above normal (150-250%),over most of the <br />remainder of the basin. Cederedge reported 320 percent of average and Montrose, <br />347 percent. Seasonal precipitation amounts (October thru March) are above <br />normal. ..120 to 170 percent. ..over most of the basin with the exception of the <br />upper reaches along the Continental Divide which were near normal. <br /> <br />April 1 snow surveys indicated there was generally little change in the average <br />basin snow water content in relation to normal from those courses measured on <br />March 1st. Some basin averages include the upper Colorado - 100%, Gunnison - <br />110%, Roaring Fork - 109% and the Dolores - 111%. The snowpack is 65 to 80% of <br />the pack that existed last year at this time. <br /> <br />Runoff during March remained well above normal with a flow at Cisco, Utah of <br />404,000 acre-feet, 191% of normal. Since October 1, 1984 the flow at Cisco has <br />been 2.02 million acre-feet, 171% of the 20-year (1961-1980) average and the <br />highest on record dating back to 1923. <br /> <br />The end of the month storage in the four major reservoirs above Cisco, Utah <br />(Granby, Dillon, Green Mountain and Blue Mesa) is 1.0 million acre-feet, 121% of <br />average, 59% of capacity and 150,000 acre-feet lower than a month ago. Storage <br />in Lake Powell is 21.4 million acre-feet, 86% of capacity and 300,000 acre.-feet <br />more than last year at this time. The April-July inflow forecast to Lake Powell <br />is 10.30 million acre--feet, 138 percent of average. <br /> <br />The potential for some flooding, in low lying and flood prone areas, remains <br />high especially in the Gunnison and Dolores Basins, as well as the Colorado <br />mainstem below the confluence of the Gunnison River, The character of the <br />spring weather will ultimately determine the extent of the flood problems. <br /> <br />GREEN RIVER BASIN: Streamflow forecasts show <br />last month remaining near to above average. <br />80 percent above Flaming Gorge to 115 percent <br /> <br />little change from those issued <br />Streamflow forecasts range from <br />below the reservoir. <br /> <br />March precipitation for the Green River Basin above Flaming Gorge ranged from 39 <br />percent at Big Piney to 135 percent at Mountain View with a basin average of 90 <br />percent. Precipitation below Flaming Gorge was substantially higher ranging <br /> <br />NOAA, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE <br />Colorado Basin River Forecast Center, Salt Lake City, Utah <br />Gerald Williams, Hydrologist-in-Charge <br />