WSP08192

• File Number: 8240.200.38.A
• Description: Coordinated Reservoir Operations
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 1/1/1997
• Author: CWCB
• Title: 1997 Coordinated Reservoir Operations Bypasses for Endangered Fish - Annual Summary of Operations for 1997 to Benefit the Endangered Fishes of the Upper Colorado River Basin
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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Snow Conditions:
Snow course conditions were monitored using a compilation of the 23 SNOTEL sites in the
Upper Colorado River Basin. As indicated by Figure 2, the peak occurred shortly after the snow
water equivalent dropped below 10 inches or approximately one month after maximum snow
water equivalent occurred.

Figure 2

Colorado Basin SNOTEL Data

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- . . - Water Year 1997
- 30 Year Average

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10/1/96 10/31/96 11/30/96 12130/96 1/29/97 2/28197 3129/97 4/28197 5/28197 8127197 7/27/97 8/26/97 9/25197
Date
Provisional data, subject to change

April 1997 Proiect Area Snow Conditions

Snowpack Water Content above Average
Snowpack water content on April I was 116 percent of the 1966-1995 average throughout the
Colorado Big Thompson Project (CBT) watersheds. The Green Mountain watershed was the
highest at 129 percent of average. The lowest snowpack water content on the CBT Project was
recorded for the Poudre watershed (east slope watershed) at 100 percent of average.

Snowpack water content on April I was above normal on the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project
watersheds. The Upper Arkansas River watershed (east slope) was 127 percent of average. The
Fryingpan River watershed was 120 percent of average.

Table I shows the snowpack update readings from the Natural Resource Conservation Service's
automated SNOTEL (SNOwpack TELemetry) sites. This system has replaced many of the
manual measurements at remote sites. The period 1961-1990 was used to calculate averages.

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