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RIO GRANDE BASIN <br /> r <br /> Basinwide Conditions Assessment: <br /> The SWSI value of-1.2 indicates that for March the RIO GRANDE BASIN <br /> basin water supplies were below normal. The Natural 5 <br /> Surface rater Supply Index History <br /> Resources Conservation Service reports April 1 snowpack as 4- <br /> 67% of normal. Flow at the gaging station Rio Grande near 3 <br /> Del Norte averaged 218 cfs, as compared to the long term 2- i' i <br /> average of 250 cfs. The Conejos River near Mogote had a mean flow of 78 cfs. Storage in Platoro, Rio Grande, and 1 ' , -- - <br /> Santa Maria reservoirs totaled 231% of normal as of the end Ditt 'ti' -I. �, <br /> of March. ,. <br /> j i -,1:...r 1 , . i <br /> ,,,,,...„ <br /> Stream flow in the basin during March was generally 1_ <br /> near average. The dry conditions continued in the San Luis a -2 <br /> Valley, marking the sixth consecutive month with below -3 4- <br /> - J <br /> average precipitation. Alamosa received only 0.34 inches of JAN97 JAN99 JAN99 J I JAN93 JAN94 JA D JAN91 JAN92 � MS JAN96 <br /> precipitation during the month, 0.11 inches below normal. YEAR/MONTH <br /> Temperatures ranged from 63°to -11°in Alamosa where the <br /> average monthly temperature was 32.0°, 0.3° above normal. <br /> Outlook <br /> Snowpack percentages in the upper Rio Grande basin P I O GRANDE NR. DELNORTE <br /> remained relatively constant during March. The basin z60 FLOW BY WATER TEAR <br /> continues to have the lowest percentage of average snowpack 040 <br /> in the state. Forecasts are predicting annual stream flows to 220 <br /> be approximately 60%of normal for most of the basin. .. 2p0 <br /> 180 <br /> --IP'''''''''''''.4/ <br /> 160 <br /> Administrative/Management Concerns 9,1 1 140 <br /> Water users and administrators are bracing themselves W g 120 <br /> V <br /> for drought conditions in the San Luis Valley. Lack of natural S ,cc, <br /> stream flow will limit many ditches from taking their full i ,0 <br /> decreed amounts. Some of the junior water rights may not be 6 <br /> in priority at all. The majority of carryover reservoir storage <br /> in the basin will be used this summer. Those irrigators with <br /> Oct Nov Dee Jan Feb March ►(Irll <br /> wells will be more reliant on the underground supply to raise 1:411N <br /> a VET[1987) O DRY C19772 4 AVG X 1096 <br /> their crops. <br /> Public Use Impacts <br /> Normal spring time activities are occurring. Farmers <br /> are preparing their fields for planting, resulting in local fire REPRESENTATIVE RESERVOIRS <br /> departments being called out often to extinguish out-of-control so R70 GRANDE BeSiN <br /> fires caused by people burning their ditches. 45- \ <br /> a <br /> 1. 35- <br /> 4 <br /> e <br /> to 30- <br /> i5 25- <br /> .J!E <br /> 7 15 ` <br /> 1O \\ <br /> 5 /.\\\ <br /> i\\ <br /> j <br /> .\ <br /> Rlo GranOe Plater° SantaArr la <br /> ® Avg. 3/31 Contents ® 3/3v96 Contents <br /> • <br /> 5 . <br />