DWR_4151767 - Laserfiche WebLink

. a 4 SAN JUAN/DOLORES/ANIMAS BASIN Basinwide Conditions Assessment: The SWSI value of +3.6 indicates that for February SAN JUAN/DOLORES/ANIMAS RIVER BASINS the basin water supplies were well above normal. The Soil S"f"'"`t" SiCPIY ' History Conservation Service reports February 28 snowpack as 160% 4 of normal. Storage in McPhee, Vallecito, and Lemon - 3 reservoirs totaled 118% of normal on February 28. Flow at 1_ :: . - ; the gaging station Animas River near Durango averaged 218 cfs as compared to the 1961-1991 February average of 211 cfs. 1 1 ; The heaviest snowpack is in the middle elevations of i D - - - t - the San Juans in La Plata County. Excellent - IFb �'tysnowpacks are ;1 y , also seen on the Dolores drainage and in the south San Juan 1 to. mountains. Durango has experienced 15 inches of a t. -2 precipitation in a three month period,the highest three month 3 winter total on record. Storms which covered the area on -4 JANB4 JANOS JAN96 JANB7 JAN S JANB9 JAN90 JAN91 JAN92 JAN03 February 19 dropped heavy, wet snow in the mountains, as MONTH/YEAR much as 5 feet on Wold Creek Pass, causing very unstable conditions which led to multiple snow slides and closed all area passes for nearly a week. Excellent low elevation soil 'moisture exists at this time. Temperatures have been warm and it is anticipated that ANIMAS RIVER NR, DURANGO early plant growth will occur. 190 - FLOW BY WATER YEAR 1W a 1M Administrative/Management Concerns: 160 150 Plans have been made to release water from reservoirs 1 ,� in anticipation of snowpack runoff. Over 4000 cfs will be i 130 n 120 released from Navajo Reservoir throughout March, and 1 ��0 Vallecito will be drained down to a low storage volume using 1� downstream channel bankful releases until it is determined " B0 that capacity exists to adequately handle the inflow. Other :r_________._____ _____:_.,-----'___. ---.... .._________ 7. - area reservoirs are being evaluated for flood potential and will be drained early if necessary. Releases from McPhee Reservoir 30 will peak toward the end of May when the highest flows will o . . NC Jan Fab March be coming out of the mountains. Rafters will have a chance ,ON„4 0 NET C 1973J O ORY(IS77) A AVG N 1993 to experience the higher flows of 2000 to 4000 cfs if the river runs as predicted. REPRESENTATIVE RESERVOIRS 320 DOLQIE?B-ANIAMS BASIN 2B0- 260-/// ih 200 J i ,SQ h 'I:_ //' II t ,20 I SO m.,/////"\\ aa %// \ V McPhw Va I 1 ae I to Lemon ® Avg.2/29 contant* (tom 2,2W93 Contents 9