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• <br /> SOUTH PLATTE BASIN <br /> Basinwide Conditions Assessment: <br /> The SWSI value of 1.8 indicates that for August the SOUTH PLATTE RIVER BASIN <br /> Swf.o.Water Supply Ind..NI.tory <br /> basin water supplies were near normal. Basin administrators 5 <br /> feel conditions are poorer than the SWSI value indicates. , <br /> Reservoir storage, the key component in this basin in W 3 , ' 7 , Y <br /> computing the SWSI value,was 98%of normal on August 31. �= l <br /> Storage in the major plains reservoirs, Julesburg, North - _Sterling, and Prewitt, decreased by 33,098 acre-feet during i 1 .August and are at 14% of capacity. Storage in the major i 0 - - nr, <br /> upper basin reservoirs, Cheesman, Eleven Mile, Spinney, and _1 irLfill:otiVo <br /> Antero, decreased by 8,913 acre-feet and are at 90% of y <br /> _2 <br /> capacity. The mean daily flow of the South Platte River at the <br /> Kersey gage was 406 cfs, as compared to the 1961-1993 3 <br /> August average of 630 cfs. Flow at the Colorado/Nebraska <br /> JAN85 JANB6 JAN17 JAMB Jakl9 JAN90 JAM91 JAN92 JAN93 JAN94 <br /> state line averaged 20 cfs. The National Weather Service MOWN,YEAR <br /> reports basin precipitation as 100% of normal during the <br /> month. <br /> While August was relatively dry, two rain storms did <br /> provide increased stream flows. With some crops maturing <br /> the end of August more of the available supply is freed up to SOUTH PLATTE RIVER NR. KERSEY <br /> the remaining users. Generally,only those irrigators with very 20 FLOW BY WATER YEAR <br /> • <br /> senior rights, reservoir water, or wells have been able to 2.6 �'' <br /> obtain the water they needed during the dry conditions this 2.4 <br /> 2.2 _ <br /> year. Some crop yields will be down and a few irrigators will i 2 <br /> not obtain any harvest this year. Some of the irrigation + 1.B <br /> reservoirs, including Julesburg Reservoir and Barr Lake, are <br /> �:� <br /> effectively out of water. Municipal reservoirs still have a't 1.2 <br /> relativly high water levels. 3 1 - <br /> 0.B <br /> 06 - <br /> Outlook 0. .�► <br /> Autumn rains and an average or above average winter 0.2 <br /> snowpack is needed to fill irrigation reservoirs for next year. 0 <br /> Oct Nov bac Jan FAO March April M.Y Jun. Ju1r Ao9 Seen <br /> As irrigation reservoirs are much lower than usual,there may l <br /> be less water available for recharge in the lower basin. WET`19°� VA `'°"'' A AVG <br /> Administrative/Management Concerns <br /> A part of the South Platte Water Rights Management <br /> Project was implemented for testing this spring and summer. REPRESENTATIVE RESERVOIRS <br /> Specifically, satellite information concerning river flow data 00JTH PLATTE RIVER BASIN <br /> was transmitted to Greeley and Denver offices for better 240 f� <br /> prediction of river flows in time and place, resulting in more <br /> precise river calls to better to ensure maximum beneficial use i ,1 f <br /> of the water. At times, flows were tracked close enough to i <br /> } 160 <br /> allow junior diverters to pick up water for 6 to 12 hours 3 140 <br /> Az\ <br /> during very short duration high flow conditions caused by rain h g 120 <br /> fall events. While the information used in the project has " 100 <br /> historically been available, it is now in a much more usable g .._� -7 <br /> and visual format. 40_n.\ /\ <br /> Public Use Impacts 0 1• [/i . . <br /> DI l ion Na'ptnath Eleven MI 1. Chosen.. .rc6.on B.re LA. <br /> The reduction in reservoir storage generally <br /> eliminated use of plains reservoirs for any recreational activity ® iw° ""°°""'"' ES) V3VM 0.nt.nt. <br /> in August. Flows in many places were sustained by reservoir <br /> releases allowing for continued fishing and other recreation on <br /> the Upper South Platte and its tributaries. <br /> 3 <br />