DWR_4151767

• Title: MARCH 1993 SWSI: COLORADO WATER SUPPLY CONDITIONS UPDATE, SURFACE WATER SUPPLY INDEX
• Year: 1993
• Document Type - Publications and Reports: SWSI Monthly Report

GUNNISON BASIN
Basinwide Conditions Assessment:
The SWSI value of +3.1 indicates that for February GUNNISON RIVER BASIN
the basin water supplies were well above normal. The Soil 5 So.fep Water s"°°" index N1etorf
Conservation Service reports February 28 snowpack at 152% 4_
of normal. Storage in Taylor Park, Crawford, and Fruitland W 3
f 4-
reservoirs totaled 109% of normal on February 28. Flow at "w' ,
the gaging station Uncompahgre River near Ridgway averaged i'-• L=�-„la f
43.8 cfs as compared to the 1961-1991 February average of -I
44.0 cfs. i o
,---
Grand Mesa has the highest snowpack measurements ,- )1 if 1[II ,*Or
at about 183% of normal. The Mesa Lakes site is at 195%of 2 It ' :`; f
ik
III
II
normal and Park Reservoir is at 183%. As can be seen from a I
the following March 1 snow water equivalent (SWE) data
from sites on the Mesa, 1993 numbers are considerably higher -4 .-........ -.--...._•.--. m..
JAN94 JAN95 JAN66 JAN67 JANB9 JAN6S JAN90 JAN91 JAN92 JAN93
than in years 1983 and 1984 which are considered high runoff AONTW YEAR
years : •
1993 1983 1984 Avg.
Site Elev. SWE SWE SWE SWE
Shaw Pasture 8320 19.3 11.0 12.0 9.79
Cole #5 Res. 8800 25.0 13.0 16.0 12.7 UNCOMPAHGRE RIVER NR. R I DGWAY
Marcott Res. 9600 38.8 20.3 21.0 20.1 24
FLOW 9Y WATER YEAR
Leon Lake 10400 45.0 28.2 26.0 21.9 22
Park Res. 10000 39.0 24.4 25.0 26.3 21 20
19
I 16
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In the remainder of the Gunnison basin and the San Miguel 15
basin, the snowpack moisture is from 130 to 150 percent of ..8 ;;
normal. The only exception to the exremely high snowpack ;;
is an area south of Gunnison which is near normal. ;" "
Y
Administrative/Management Concerns 7 . ,
6
The exceptional snowpack gives reason to have some 5
concern about potential flooding on the streams running off 3
Oct Npv Oec Jan Feb march
Grand Mesa. The runoff is dependent upon spring weather, 1,01714
CI aer C1aa4) O DRY(1977) p AVG X 1997
future snow and rainfall, and many other factors. However,
county emergency preparedness personnel and others are '
working to be prepared in case flooding does become a threat.
The exreamly high snowpack has caused the Bureau of
Reclamation to increase releases from Aspinall Unit and other REPRESENTATIVE RESERVOIRS
reservoirs in anticipation of creating some flood control 70 WWI SON RIVER WIN
storage.
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Toy or Park Crawford Fruitland
® Avp. 2/2a Content. ® 2/26/93 Contents
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