DWR_4151862

• Title: NOVEMBER 1995 SWSI: COLORADO WATER SUPPLY CONDITIONS UPDATE, SURFACE WATER SUPPLY INDEX
• Year: 1995
• Document Type - Publications and Reports: SWSI Monthly Report

GUNNISON BASIN
Basinwid a Conditions Assessment:
The SWSI value of 3.0 indicates that for October the GUNNISON RIVER BASIN
basin water supplies were above normal. Storage in Taylor 5"'" ""�5uppIy'ndoX"i Glory
5
Park, Crawford, and Fruitland reservoirs totaled 110% of 4-
normal as of the end of October. Flow at the gaging station A _
Uncompahgre River near Ridgway averaged 86 cfs as
compared to the 1961-1993 average of 84 cfs. The National --� - ---- -�+
Weather Service reports basin precipitation as 31%of normal y. 1-
during the month. oti
-1- '
ti
Outlook _ - eA
Cc
The dry month of October has not been a good start -2 ;- f
for the 1995-96 snowpack season,but the base flows will keep -3-
the rivers running at normal levels. 4 m
JAN96 JAH87 JAN98 JAN89 JAN90 JAN91 JAN92 JAN93 JAN94 JAHL8S
MONTW',EAR
Administrative/Management Concerns
Many irrigators used the abundance of available water
in October to soak their fields before winter. Some users
reduced the flow in their ditches to a small amount that runs
all winter for stock watering purposes. The high water last UNCOMPHGRE RIVER NR. R I DGWAY
F CAST MONTH OF THE WATER YEAR
summer washed out numerous headgates and diversion
structures which users had to replace this fall. Irrigators are 9
already hoping for another good runoff next year, although 8 •
perhaps for not quite as much water.
LL
in 6
Public Use Impacts
4
As fall continues, recreational water use has shut a g
down, except for the occasional recreation use on reservoirs. 3
1 /4 f4
7///,
OCTOBER 1995 AVERAGE C'El-'94) HIGH C1970) LOW C1979)
Representative Reservoirs
Gunnlcon Rive-9acin
80
70
60
• 50
un
a n
.F
• 30
20
///7\\
10 /Ns\
Taylor Parr Cr aMfiortl Fruitland
Avg 1G131 Contents ® t0/31165 Conientc
6