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GUNNISON BASIN March, 1997 <br /> Basinwide Conditions Assessment: <br /> The SWSI value of 3.9 indicates that for February the GUNNISON RIVER BASIN <br /> basin water supplies were well above normal. The Natural 5 Surface Water Supply Index 111Ctory <br /> Resources Conservation Service reports March 1 snowpack as 4_ <br /> [. <br /> 154% of normal. Flow at the gaging station Uncompahgre , <br /> River near Ridgway averaged 56 cfs as compared to the long 3 .; ` <br /> term average of 44 cfs. Storage in Taylor Park, Crawford, and 2- �: := <br /> Fruitland reservoirs totaled 88% of normal as of the end of 1 ,- n - _ <br /> February. I 1 . • 1 I. ill 1 <br /> "1-•.ti 1� III r 4; <br /> Outlook ,� �11 ''" ' t <br /> Although there was not as much snow in February, 2 II 1 <br /> there was enough to keep the snowpack levels substantially 3- = <br /> above average. While March and April are normally big snow I. . .. <br /> JAN6$ JANB9 JAN90 JAN91 JAN92 JAN93 JAN94 JAN95 JAN96 JAN97 <br /> months and the outlook could still change for the worse, for A0NTWYEAR <br /> now the snowpack looks great and water users are excited for <br /> the prospect of a good water year. <br /> Administrative/Management Concerns <br /> A concern of basin administrators, which does not UNCOMPAHGRE RIVER NR, R I DGWAY <br /> Flow BY WATER YEAR <br /> show up in the snowtel reports, is the amount of snow 24 <br /> existing between 6,000 and 8,000 feet. This low elevation 2 <br /> snowpack is substantially higher than it has been in years. It 21 <br /> 20 <br /> is usually the first to melt in the spring, and could possibly i 18 _ <br /> cause early flooding in some areas. Basin administrators will ;s <br /> have to watch it carefully over the next few months. a <br /> The releases from Blue Mesa Reservoir have been LL,i ,z <br /> z- <br /> around 1,800 cfs all winter to evacuate the necessary storage S V <br /> lo <br /> amounts. These high releases have kept the flow of the B <br /> Gunnison river at the Redlands Canal near Grand Junction 7 <br /> high. As a result the Canal company has been unable to 5 <br /> 4 <br /> lower their diversion gates which they need to do prior to the 3 <br /> Oct Nov Doc Jan Fob Barth <br /> spring runoff. Failure to drop the gates could result in MONTH <br /> flooding in the stretch above the diversion dam and possibly WET(1994) O DRY(1977) 0 9 1997 <br /> damage to the new fish ladder adjacent to the site. The <br /> company made a special request of the U.S. Bureau of <br /> Reclamation to decrease the flows out of Crystal Reservoir. <br /> Their request was granted and on March 1 the outflow will be REPRESENTATIVE RESERVOIRS <br /> reduced to 1,200 cfs for 2 days. The cooperation is much 70 <br /> GUNNISON RIVER BASIN <br /> appreciated by all. <br /> • 60 j <br /> Public Use Impacts d 5O <br /> The rivers will likely run higher than normal this <br /> spring due to the melting of low snow. Also, the major II <br /> 40 <br /> reservoirs will be evacuating storage to make room for the a g 30 <br /> -^\ <br /> high spring runoff. These reservoirs include Paonia, Blue <br /> Mesa, and Taylor Park. People who want to irrigate early will ° 20 <br /> be able to do so. <br /> in <br /> // l\ /0 !// \\\ lJ/ilk N <br /> Taylor Park Crawford Fruitland <br /> V/I Avg. 212a Contantc ® 2128/97 Contonta <br /> 6 <br />