DWR_4151835

• Title: FEBRUARY 1997 SWSI: COLORADO WATER SUPPLY CONDITIONS UPDATE, SURFACE WATER SUPPLY INDEX
• Year: 1997
• Document Type - Publications and Reports: SWSI Monthly Report

M
RIO GRANDE BASIN February, 1997
Basinwide Conditions Assessment:
The SWSI value of 3.1 indicates that for January the RIO GRANDE BASIN
basin water supplies were well above normal. The Natural s Surf ace wMt.r S pIy N.M.NI s'tary
Resources Conservation Service reports February 1 snowpack 4-
as 154% of normal. Flow at the gaging station Rio Grande . _ r
near Del Norte averaged 165 cfs, as compared to the long 3 -1
term average of 168 cfs. The Conejos River near Mogote had 2- - - - ,
a mean flow of 48 cfs. Storage in Platoro, Rio Grande, and - ; ;; '
Santa Maria reservoirs totaled 119% of normal as of the end _ G . 1- ' ++.r 1 ..F:� w
Ti : ,
of January. -1_ '" i --\:111 : If ,,r
Alamosa received 0.33 inches of precipitation during 2- `' G
the month, 0.07 inches above normal. Temperatures ranged 0
from -22° to 56° in Alamosa where the average monthly -3- _ .
temperature was 16.0°, 1.3° above normal. -4 i f _ 1
JAN09 JAN69 JAN90 JAN91 JAN92 JAN93 JAN94 JAN95 JAN96 JAN97
YEAR/LON1H
Outlook
Although it is too early to tell for sure, the current
snowpack and reservoir conditions suggest the 1997 irrigation
season may have good water supply conditions, much better
than last year. RIO GRANDE NR. DELNORTE
FLOW EN WATER YEAR
170
Administrative/Management Concerns ifi0
The Closed Basin Project produced an average of 62 140
cfs during January. The Project, operated and maintained by 1. 130
the Bureau of Reclamation, salvages water from a shallow t �;o
unconfined aquifer that would otherwise be lost through o1 17_
evapotranspiration. This water flows to the Rio Grande and g �'
if it meets minimum water quality standards provides credit IS 70
towards Colorado's Rio Grande Compact obligation. In order I 60 Jam—�'
to preserve the integrity of the conveyance channel, it is S0 e
40
normal practice to bring pumping levels up in the winter. .
20
Oct Nlty Dec Jan Fab March
Public Use Impacts
Upper Rio Grande basin residents are experiencing a ° WET`1�" ° °"' AVG X 1997
pleasant winter as snowfall in the mountains and
temperatures on the valley floor have been above average all
season.
REPERSENTATIVE RESERVOIRS
RI O GRANDE BAS I N
24
22-
w 16-
r
~ 96 ti/
•
e 1A
.s 12
Cg 10
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R I o Grande P tat aro SaotaM•r l■
® AVG. 1/31 Contents' ® 1/31/97 Contents
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