DWR_4151893 - Laserfiche WebLink

), . • SOUTH PLATIE BASIN Basinwide Conditions Assessment: The SWSI value of +1.8 indicates that for December SOUTH PLATTE RIVER BASIN basin water supplies were above normal. Reservoir 5 Surface w.t.r swv{r ""°`Nl story storage, the key component in this basin in computing the SWSI value, was 111% of normal on November 30. Storage IT,',': . �- u 3 �,.�. 1 .. in the major plains reservoirs, Julesburg, North Sterling, and � _ ' Prewitt, increased by 15,617 acre-feet during December and .,, are at 68% of capacity. Storage in the major upper basin i a reservoirs, Cheesman, Eleven Mile, Spinney, and Antero, 9 fl - ° ,.............0 "�" �� decreased by 3,620 acre-feet and are at 90%of capacity. The Irfir_, Soil Conservation Service reports January 1 snowpack at 102% > of normal. The National Weather Service reports basin o precipitation as 52% of normal during December. The mean .3 daily flow of the South Platte River at the Kersey gage was -4 ... -.-. JAN85 JANBS JAN07 JAMB JAN89 JAN90 JAN01 JAN92 JAN93 JAN94 859 cfs, as compared to the 1961-1992 December average of MONTtV YEAR 812 cfs. Flow at the Colorado/Nebraska state line averaged 591 cfs. Outlook The month of December saw better than average SOUTH PLATTE RIVER NR. KERSEY stream flows throughout the basin allowing storage reservoirs - PLOW WATER YEAR to continue to be filled. Some recharge occurred in Districts 400 1, 2, and 64. Water supplies were adequate for current uses. 350 Snow accumulations slowed down compared to the November . .-----------47//f accumulation rate,however,the main part of the snow season i 300 remains ahead. December weather has not been severe 5 1 250 enough to freeze out water diverters. As 1994 begins the g 200 "outh Platte supply outlook is generally favorable. i v 150 100 Administrative/Management Concerns Records of water diversions and uses for the past 50 ;� water year are being finalized at this time. Diversion records 0 act Nov 0ac Jan Feb March reflect the continually expanding extent of water use within MONTH 1594 the basin. As water rights are changed from irrigation to WET"9B� DRY(1964) A AVG 0 municipal and industrial uses, the complexity of administration rises. A diversion structure that historically had one page of diversion record may now have several pages reflecting many new uses of the water (augmentation, Representative Reservoirs domestic, minimum stream flow, recharge, etc.). Given the 2,0 South Platte Ply.-Basin potential requirement to convey water down stream for 220- endangered species in Nebraska, and for other long distance 200,:2";,,, exchanges decreed in new water transfers, pressure will i 19D undoubtedly come upon diverters to by-pass upstream waters 1 n ,52 -" earmarked for these uses so they can reach their intended �� 140 i120 destination. Since many of these diversion structures were not h g 1°0 A7 designed to allow the measurement of low flow by-passes r 80 //�\ some retrofitting will be necessary. The question of who is s 5D responsible for expenses remains unresolved. Monitoring and 40 7 identifying these flows in the fluctuating South Platte system 20* /\/-\ /\7\ /\/\ M will be difficult. ° Dillon Fkrsatooth Eleven MIIa Cha°paen Jackson Barr Lake Public Use Impacts ® Av9. 12/31 Contents EN12/31/93 Contents Snowfall has been timely and adequate for ski areas len supplemented with snowmaking. Reservoir levels and river flows have been better than normal which generally impacts public users favorably. 3