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s SOUTH PLATTE BASIN <br /> Basinwide Conditions Assessment: <br /> The SWSI value of 3.8 indicates that for February the SOUTH PLATTE RIVER BASIN <br /> basin water supplies were well above normal. Reservoir 5 Surface t�Supply I }Notary <br /> storage, the major component in this basin in computing the 1 <br /> SWSI value, was 118% of normal as of the end of February. 3- w- <br /> 14 <br /> Storage in the major plains reservoirs, Julesburg, North ' _ T <br /> Sterling, and Prewitt, increased by 11,527 acre-feet during '..— .. LI : :_ _,•;,__. <br /> February and are at 93% of capacity. Storage in the major 5 1� • <br /> -. Y i` w w :�,. <br /> upper basin reservoirs, Cheesman, Eleven Mile, Spinney, and o1( ---c - 1 ^'4� <br /> Antero, decreased by 1,168 acre-feet and are at 88% of -,- <br /> capacity. The Natural Resources Conservation Service reports _ ' <br /> .z <br /> March 1 snowpack as 152% of normal. The mean daily flow <br /> of the South Platte River at the Kersey gage was 1,062 cfs, as -3 <br /> compared to the 1961-1993 average of 799 cfs. Flow at the -4 <br /> JAN87 JAN88 JAN89 JAN90 JAN91 JAN92 JAN93 JAN84 JAN95 JAN96 <br /> Colorado/Nebraska state line averaged 921 cfs. Y°NTWYEAA <br /> River flows continued at or above average for the <br /> month of February. Diversions continued primarily for <br /> storage, recharge, and direct municipal use. Most reservoirs <br /> have either filled or are expected to fill without difficulty this <br /> spring. The only call on the South Platte continued to be for SOUTH PLATTE RIVER NR. KERSEY <br /> YEAR <br /> storage upstream of Denver. ,so FLOW BY WATER <br /> ,00 <br /> Outlook <br /> The overall continued wet conditions throughout the <br /> 30° <br /> mountains during February kept the snowpack significantly m <br /> ,, g: <br /> above average. The snowpack level at runoff will be effected :`(-125° <br /> by snowfall during the next two months, which is generally W 2 eon - <br /> the period when the basin gets the most precipitation. Based 1Z.v 150 <br /> on present conditions,it continues to appear that there will be <br /> 1°° <br /> a more than average natural supply through this year. <br /> Unlike the mountains,the plains have been relatively 5° <br /> dry this winter. There has been some damage to winter ° ' <br /> . Nov O.0 Jan Fb March <br /> wheat in certain locations because of both the dry conditions SMITH <br /> 0 WET C1989) a DRY C198) G AVG X 1998 <br /> and winds. <br /> Administrative/Management Concerns <br /> An explosion at the Flatiron Pumping Station near <br /> Carter Lake has temporarily impacted the Colorado Big Representative Reservoirs <br /> Thompson (CBT) projects ability to divert water to a portion zso South Platte Baeln <br /> of its District, including into Carter Lake. The CBT project is 2,4o- <br /> a transbasin diversion project which delivers supplemental 220- <br /> supplies to farmers, municipalities, and others within the = 160 <br /> Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (NCWCD). � 16o <br /> While the large amount of carryover water from last year in '3 <br /> Carter Lake helps the situation,the NCWCD Board recently set g 120 <br /> -77;/,'"2.\\\:: <br /> a CBT quota of 50%for the part of the District's system served fl 1O° <br /> bythe lake including Little Thompson basin, Saint Vrain 3 so <br /> basin,Boulder Creek basin and the short stretch of the South Bo /\ %7 <br /> Platte between Denver and Saint Vrain Creek. While this 2040 � � -� <br /> quota will not affect some users unless it is a dry year, other ° <br /> oll lot Worgto0th Elvin Ni le Ch»annn J9Ction 96rr Lake <br /> users on irrigation systems with junior water rights who are <br /> dependent upon leasing CBT water will probably be adversely ® "vg 2/2°Contents ® 2,29•96 Contents <br /> impacted. The Bureau of Reclamation, which is responsible <br /> for the station,estimates it will be September before the pump <br /> is back in operation. <br /> 3 <br />