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RIO GRANDE BASIN 4 Basinwide Conditions Assessment: The SWSI value of-1.9 indicates that for January the RIO GRANDE BASIN sin water supplies were below normal. The Soil 5 5�,"° ter suaolr I BA HIota Y Conservation Service reports January 31 snowpack at 59% of 4- normal. Storage in Platoro, Rio Grande, and Santa Maria reservoirs totaled 209%of normal on January 31. Flow at the 3, 1� e ; gaging station Rio Grande near Del Norte averaged 153 cfs, as ,,-s • _ -�� 1 E. - , compared to the 1961-1993 January average of 168 cfs. The 1- • M--Y ' - ., :' -w-�-- Conejos River near Mogote had a mean monthly flow of 44 0 ° v f�_ ,�' s l ,i, cfs. Generally, stream flow in the basin during January was - d( �" V similar to last year. Flow in the Rio Grande leaving the state fk` =f :' , a -2— ✓ was higher than the historic monthly average. Weather conditions in the San Luis Valley during 3- 1,5 January were significantly warmer than average. The mean -4 JAN85 JAN86 JAN87 JAN88 JAN89 JAN90 JAN91 JAN92 JAN93 JAN94 monthly temperature recorded at Alamosa was 4.6° above YEAR/143NTN normal. Temperatures ranged from a high of 52°on the 24th to a low of-20° on the 31st. The average daily high was 38°, while the average daily low remained at 0° for the second consecutive month. Precipitation totals for the month were very near average in Alamosa. The 5.0 inches of snow that RIO GRANDE NR DELNORTE fell was very dry, containing only 0.22 inches of moisture. 170 FLOW BY WATER YEAR 160 /- Outlook 150 140 Basin wide snowfall remains scarce this winter. i 130 ��' Although residents of the valley are enjoying the warmer ; '�° temperatures,many are concerned about the lack of snowpack o 110 �� in the mountains. Above average precipitation in the LL o 90 W v --emaining winter months will be needed to reduce the current ;o /� ficit. 1 60 / .r _� 50 Q _ 40 Administrative/Management Concerns 30 Preparation for the 1994 irrigation season has begun. 20- Oct Nov Oec Jan Feb Wr-ch Area water officials, farmers, and ranchers are busy planning MONTH b WET(1987) O °Rr(1977) A AVG X 1994 strategies to provide adequate water supplies as well as to maximize production and profit. Public Use Impacts Lack of snowfall has pushed outdoor enthusiasts to REPERSENTAT I VE RESERVOIRS higher elevations. Those seeking adequate snow depth for AG PIO �1AN°E BASIN recreation are finding little or no snow in the lower areas. On40_ the other hand, mild temperatures and the lack of extreme \ 35 weather events have had a positive impact on the ranching d \\ ` 30_ community. a \\\ a S 25 \\ \ ogd 20- \\,, c 15^\ ' / \ \ 10 \ I ,,,N Rlo Grande Sent aAkfr la I(_z_i AV9 1/31 Contents 177 1/31/94 Contents 5