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. <br /> GUNNISON BASIN April, 1997 <br /> I <br /> Basinwide Conditions Assessment: <br /> The SWSI value of 3.6 indicates that for March the GUNNISON RIVER BASIN <br /> basin water supplies were well above normal. The Natural Surface Water Supply Index NlNtc y <br /> 5 <br /> Resources Conservation Service reports April 1 snowpack as 4- }, <br /> 123% of normal. Flow at the gaging station Uncompahgre _ a . <br /> River near Ridgway averaged 103 cfs as compared to the long - ;— ; <br /> term average of 61 cfs. Storage in Taylor Park, Crawford, and 2- Y <br /> Fruitland reservoirs totaled 89% of normal as of the end of 5 ,- .L -` ' <br /> March. E .w� . ,`, ) F.,. <br /> ,.. . <br /> , ,,.: <br /> Outlook a " <br /> a -2- ✓ r <br /> What two months ago had appeared to be another O L <br /> banner snowpack year similar to 1995 has fizzled and is now _3 r <br /> fighting to stay above average. Precipitation during the first -• I ............... . . . . •-- ., .,� ,,......m <br /> JAN48 JAN89 JAN90 JAN91 JAN92 JAN93 JAN94 JAN95 JAN96 JAN97 <br /> week in April did boost the snowpack. For most of the PONTN/YEAR <br /> Gunnison drainage the forecast is good and the rivers should <br /> run at above normal levels. <br /> Administrative/Manazement Concerns <br /> Warm weather in March reduced the low elevation UNCOMPAHGRE RIVER NR. R I DGWAY <br /> (6,000-8,000 feet) snow, but not the higher snow. This will 3. <br /> FLOW BY WATER YEAR <br /> help ease the potential for flooding that could have happened 32 <br /> 3O <br /> if the weather suddenly turned hot. 28 <br /> Blue Mesa Reservoir is down substantially to make 24 <br /> room for spring runoff, as is Taylor Park Reservoir. Of note is Z, 2z <br /> the construction at Ridgeway Reservoir. During February and o 1 <br /> is <br /> March the bypass pipe was extended out into the stilling pool. g ,S , .„---'r--------:..----'r"--------: ;:___,-'77 <br /> The release was kept to 95 cfs for the construction to take s <br /> .-' 14 70,0,":„....- ----- <br /> 12 <br /> place. After completion of construction on the first of April, 8 <br /> the release was increased to 600 cfs. Usually the months of B <br /> February and March are used to gradually decrease reservoir 4 <br /> storage and make room for the runoff. To make up for this <br /> Oct Nov Oct Jan F b AbF9h Ac II <br /> winter's construction, releases will remain high during April MONTH <br /> 0 WET(1904) o DAY C19777 4 AV° X 1997 <br /> to bring the reservoir down to the desired level. <br /> Public Use Impacts <br /> Some irrigators have already started to run water in <br /> their ditches. The Gunnison Tunnel turned on a small REPRESENTATIVE RESERVOIRS <br /> amount on March 24. Some of the other large canals in the GO-/ CLINNISOM RIVER BASIN <br /> Uncompaghre Project have also been running water. <br /> Depending on the weather, more ditches will start diverting 5O <br /> soon. <br /> 40- <br /> e <br /> to /\ <br /> wi <br /> ii 30 7\ <br /> WC, <br /> 2, 20 <br /> i <br /> 10 <br /> / V/// \\\\ <br /> Taylor Rork Crawford Fruitland <br /> ® Avg. 3/31 Content. ® 3/31/97 Contn+te <br /> 6 <br />