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SOUTH PLATTE BASIN <br /> Basinwide Conditions Assessment: <br /> The SWSI value of 3.1 indicates that for August the SOUTH PLATTE RIVER BASIN <br /> basin water supplies were well above normal. Reservoir s e�„u Water St,,,, Index History <br /> storage, the major component in this basin in computing the 4 . <br /> SWSI value, was 120% of normal as of the end of August. . ;p ^ . ._ <br /> Storage in the major plains reservoirs, Julesburg, North 3 ' 1 :� 4 <br /> 2 .a: .I.. Z <br /> Sterling, and Prewitt, decreased by 42,927 acre-feet during . . _ <br /> August and are at 38% of capacity. Storage in the major 1 1 r..r 1� <br /> upper basin reservoirs, Cheesman, Eleven Mile, Spinney, and i D ,-,, . <br /> 14 Antero, decreased by 4,514 acre-feet and are at 100% of <br /> capacity. The mean daily flow of the South Platte River at the ' <br /> a _2 <br /> Kersey gage was 585 cfs, as compared to the 1961-1993 <br /> August average of 630 cfs. Flow at the Colorado/Nebraska 3 <br /> state line averaged 310 cfs. The National Weather Service 4T_.m._... — <br /> JAN96 JAN87 JAN88 JAN99 JAN90 JAN91 JAN92 JAN93 JAN94 JAN9S <br /> reports basin precipitation at 76% of normal during the ►W W YEAR <br /> month. <br /> Stream flows continued to be above average for the <br /> month of August due to higher than average irrigation return <br /> flows, releases of flood water from reservoirs, and continued <br /> snow melt. A call finally did occur on the South Platte River SOUTH PLATTE RIVER NR, KERSEY <br /> on August 8, 1995 and continued throughout the month. FLOW BY WATER YEAR <br /> 2.9 <br /> Calls also occurred on all of the South Platte tributaries. In 2.6 —" <br /> 2.4 <br /> most instances the call was much junior to that usually placed 2 2 <br /> in August. The free river conditions preceding the call i 2 <br /> allowed for perfecting many conditional water rights. : 1.9 <br /> : 1.6 /r <br /> Outlook W— 1.2 <br /> Irrigators began to use reservoir storage in August to s <br /> supplement direct flow water. Even with this use the l 0.13 ._--.% <br /> reservoirs averaged 50% full at the end of the month. Most 0.6 <br /> 04 <br /> municipalities did not have to use significant amounts of 0 2 e <br /> reservoir supply to meet demand. It is anticipated that there O <br /> Oct Nov Doc Jan Feb March April May June July AVq Sept <br /> will not be difficulty in filling most irrigation reservoirs next MONTH <br /> o year as existing storage levels are higher than normal andT(1993) o DRY(1964, A X 1995 <br /> flows should continue to be above average during the fall and <br /> winter due to irrigation return flows and bank storage returns. <br /> Similarly, the filling of municipal reservoirs should not be <br /> difficult. This is good news for both the irrigation and <br /> municipal suppliers looking toward next year. <br /> REPRESENTATIVE RESERVOIRS <br /> /7�/� 260 SOUTH PLATTE RIVER BASIN <br /> Administrative/Management Concerns <br /> Many of the damaged diversion structures have been 24p <br /> 220,� <br /> repaired. However, concern remains over some structures 0 <br /> which have not been repaired. In addition, debris in the river 20 200 /� <br /> creates concern for future high flow situations in some places. t r1 '5°-A <br /> a <br /> 140 <br /> a 120A \ <br /> Public Use Impacts �? <br /> While the warm conditions allowed crops to catch up 100 A / 7 <br /> as � / \ <br /> some, most crops continue to be behind average growth for 3 BD <br /> the time of year. The possibility remains that an early frost ,0—A <br /> could ruin some crops. 20 V/�\ r// <br /> 0 \` <br /> Dillon FWrsat00th Eleven Mlle Cheecmen JeckGOn Barr Lake <br /> ® Avq. 0/91 content■ ® EV91/95 Contents <br /> 3 <br />