DWR_4151836

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

SOUTH PLA1Th BASIN 1/1997
Basinwide Conditions Assessment:
The SWSI value of 2.6 indicates that for December the SOUTH PLATTE RIVER BASIN
)asin water supplies were above normal. Reservoir storage, s Surface Water S o Index"tstory
the major component in this basin in computing the SWSI ,_
value, was 116% of normal as of the end of December. _ 1
Storage in the major plains reservoirs: Julesburg, North - 3- .. �` '�,`�
Sterling, and Prewitt, increased by11,878 acre-feet during
December and are at 73% of capacity. Storage in the major 5 1 — -4 c -
upper basin reservoirs: Cheesman, Eleven Mile, Spinney, and g ° .""1 °'
Antero, decreased by 5,450 acre-feet and are at 83% of -
capacity. The National Resources Conservation Service reports •
_2-,
January 1 snowpack as 154%of normal. The mean daily flow o
of the South Platte River at the Kersey gage was 755 cfs, as -3"
compared to the long term average of 844 cfs. Flow at the -
JAN9B JAN99 JAN90 JAN91 JAN92 JAN93 JAN94 JAN95 JAN96 JAN97
Colorado/Nebraska state line averaged 202 cfs, compared to LONTWYEAR
the long term average of 403 cfs.
Reservoir storage continued as the primary diversion
in December with lesser diversions for municipal and recharge
purposes. Many of the Plains Reservoirs have stopped taking
water to avoid flooding potential created by freezing in the SOUTH PLATTE RIVER NR. KERSEY
ditches. At the end of the month, there was no call .s0 FLOW BY WATER YEAR
downstream of Chatfield Reservoir in the Denver area. 400
350
Outlook
.----------4/9° ____
With the above average snowpack,the present stream 30
0
flow, and the present reservoir supply, it looks to basin a/ 250
administratorsy� like most reservoirs on both the mainstem and g �°
tributaries will fill. i v 150
100
Administrative/Management Concerns
The Division Engineer is concerned with continued 5D �'
unpermitted ground water and illegal surface water diversions o
Oct Nov 0. J.n Feb Parch
for lawn irrigation and commercial uses along the Big ►ONTN
Thompson River between Estes Park and Loveland. To rectify 0 WET`180" ° DRY „�.' o X 1997
the situation, the local Water Commissioner will be -
intensifying his efforts to discover and stop these illegal uses.
This effort will begin in the Estes Park area and proceed down
the river canyon towards Loveland. The Division Engineer Representative Reservoirs
held a public meeting in November and will hold another in 240 South Platt.River Basin
January to provide information and assistance to water users 220—
in the canyon. 200
The Division of Water Resources and the Colorado ; 180
Water Conservation board have begun work on a technical d 160
study of Denver Basin ground water management in the South `
Platte basin. The work was authorized by Senate Bill 96-74, a1 ,°° \
which also established a special legislative committee to
n 80
oversee the study and make recommendations to the s' 60
legislature. The bill was initiated in response to concerns 40
about how ground water based development in the Denver 2°-'/A/\ // ^ 7
metro and Douglas County area will impact South Platte River a
DI Ion Hors.tooth Eleven MI I. Chessman Jackson 9ar.Laice
water rights and water availability. The study will assess the
need for and scope of participation by the State in efforts to ® Avq. 12137 COMMAS.) ® 92/31/96 COnt.nts
recover endangered and threatened species along the Platte
River. Other study goals include identifying opportunities for
local and regional water use efficiencies and re-use projects, and for water development in the lower basin in accordance
with the South Platte River Compact.
3 "