DWR_4151890 - Laserfiche WebLink

RIO GRANDE BASIN • Basinwide Conditions Assessment: The SWSI value of-0.1 indicates that for March the PIO GRANDE BASIN asin water supplies were normal. The Soil Conservation 5 5 r1"°Water Supply nd•x""to Y Service reports March 31 snowpack at 83% of normal. 4 Storage in Platoro, Rio Grande, and Santa Maria reservoirs ; I. totaled 202% of normal on March 31. The National Weather 3 3 : I; Service reports basin precipitation as-86% of normal during 2 L 1, n March. Flow at the gaging station Rio Grande near Del Norter , -. , : _ 1_,... averaged 251 cfs, as compared to the 1961-1993 March l ° — lok II 1'' r avera a of 250 cfs. The Conejos River near Mo ote had a l'_--i-'47Alt11A ii 'g J g ,✓ mean monthly flow of 100 cfs. a 2 :if Stream flow in the basin during March was, in ° general,higher than last year. Flow in the Rio Grande leaving 3 the state was higher than the historic average. Weather -4 JAN85 JANB6 JAN87 JAN88 JAN89 JAN90 JAN91 JAN92 JAN93 JAN94 conditions in the San Luis Valley were warmer than average. YEAR,MONTN The average temperature of 34.8° was 2.5° above normal, with the extreme temperatures ranging from 67° on the 16th to -2° on the 28th. The average daily high was 53° and average daily low was 17°. Alamosa received 0.45 inches of moisture which matched the average. This was the result of PIO GRANDE NR. DELNORTE FLOW Br WATER YEAR several light snowstorms scattered throughout the month. 260 240 Outlook 220 Snowpack measurements indicate below average 2°0 180 -4"----.---." conditions for nearly all sites. Only the Sangre De Cristo and i- 160 southeastern San Juan ranges have sites that report above 79°n 140 average snow water equivalents. The near normal stream ..i > 120 .ows in the basin during March may quickly change to below `E 100 .ormal as the irrigation season progresses. 1 80 ----VA 60 Administrative/Management Concerns 40 Many irrigators have already called for water,making 20 Oct Nov Doc Jan Feb march Apr1I this the earliest start in recent memory. This early demand is MONTH reflective of the dry conditions this spring. Also contributing 0 WET"B°'' ORY`1837, A 1.34 to this situation is the lack of diversion curtailment for the Rio Grande compact. Due to Colorado's credit water from prevous seasons being stored in Elephant Butte Reservoir,curtailments may not be necessary this year on the Rio Grande mainstem. REPRESENTATIVE RESERVOIRS However, Conejos River diversions may be subject to some 45 RIO GRANDE BASIN curtailment. 10- 35- Public Use Impacts Mild weather conditions have allowed farmers and + 30 ranchers to get an early jump on the agricultural season with n 25- activities such as plowing, planting, and animal rearing. The h g 2°- high wind season has also arrived. The San Luis Valley d 15 f/ traditionally receives heavy winds from early March through i I./ \ 10 late June. 5 Rlo Grand• Platoro SantaMor I ® Avp, 3/31 Cont.nt• ® 3/31/94 Cont.nt• 5