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RIO GRANDE BASIN <br /> Basinwide Conditions Assessment: <br /> The SWSI value of 3.2 indicates that for March the basin R I 0 GRANDE BA S I N <br /> water supplies were above normal. The Natural Resources surface Water Supply Index History <br /> Conservation Service reports April 1 snowpack as 125% of <br /> r _ <br /> normal. Storage in Platoro, Rio Grande, and Santa Maria <br /> 3 <br /> reservoirs totaled 152% of normal on March 31. Flow at the _ <br /> gaging station Rio Grande near Del Norte averaged 371 cfs, as _ <br /> compared to the 1961-1993 March average of 250 cfs. The <br /> Conejos River near Mogote had a mean flow of 114 cfs. Most z <br /> upper basin streams, and the Rio Grande at the state line, had <br /> above average flow during March. The National Weather Service <br /> computes basin precipitation as 201%of normal during the month. -3- <br /> The average monthly temperature of 34.6° in Alamosa �"" �""" '"" �""' ""'°EAR 'NTH'� '" 5 <br /> °' �""� '"" <br /> was 2.3°above normal. Temperatures ranged from a high of 67° <br /> to a low of 3°. Alamosa received 0.36 inches of precipitation <br /> which was 0.09 inches below normal. <br /> RIO GRANDE NR. DELNORTE <br /> FLOW Sr WATER YEAR <br /> Outlook <br /> The combination of above average snowpack and <br /> reservoir storage in the basin has water users and administrators LL <br /> feeling optimistic about adequate water supplies for the irrigation t <br /> season. 3 f <br /> o ; ,m <br /> LL g <br /> Administrative/Management Concerns ,c <br /> J <br /> On the mainstem of the Rio Grande, a call for surface 1 _ <br /> irrigation rights commenced March 6. Reservoir storage rights <br /> were "called out" March 14. These conditions arrived about 40 0 — P„ more PI Per r, <br /> days earlier than normal, but the cooler and wetter weather in the M°"T" <br /> latter part of the month has eased this early demand. - WET c'98n c1977, AVG 199s <br /> The Rio Grande Compact meeting involving the States of <br /> Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas was held in Alamosa on <br /> March 23. As it did in 1994, the potential exists for a spill to REPRESENTATIVE RESERVOIRS <br /> RIO GRANOE BASIN <br /> occur at Elephant Butte Reservoir in New Mexico. A spill would <br /> eliminate Colorado's water delivery obligation to the state line in <br /> 1995. The Closed Basin Project delivery to the Rio Grande has m 40 <br /> been reduced to minimum required flows in anticipation of a spill. w <br /> oOm !rill <br /> �ad° 7 <br /> 4i go.+ zcul <br /> ®Avg. 3/31 Contents ��3/31/95 Contents <br /> 5 <br />