DWR_4151899

• Title: FEBRUARY 1999 SWSI: COLORADO WATER SUPPLY CONDITIONS UPDATE, SURFACE WATER SUPPLY INDEX
• Year: 1999
• Document Type - Publications and Reports: SWSI Monthly Report

A
ARKANSAS BASIN February, 1999
10
Basinwide Conditions Assessment: I
The SWSI value of 0.6 indicates that for January the ARKANSAS RIVER BASIN
basin water supplies were near normal. The Natural Sur S ''Water Supply '"�.'"1'to y
Resources Conservation Service reports that February 1 4
snowpack is 86% of normal. Flow at the gaging station . 3 } '
Arkansas River near Portland averaged 517 cfs, as compared
to the long term average of 354 cfs. Storage in Turquoise, 2 1
Twin Lakes,Pueblo, and John Martin reservoirs totaled 174% 1 1 , w ; • A'
II : UMW ■�141 A'
of normal as of the end of January. g 0_. `III,I IA
v. , Ali I� i MIMIII' •I•III 1
Water content in the basin's snowpack has improved - �' fr ,, 'r� ' '
slightly from the 77% of normal figure at the beginning of
-2
January. This water supply source appears to be quite evenly o
spread over the whole drainage with none of the sub-basins -3-
being significantly different from this overall average. -4
JAN90 JAN91 JAN92 JAN23 JAN94 JAN95 JAN96 JAN97 JAN99 JAN99
WW W YEAR
Outlook
Water is continuing to be stored in basin reservoirs
this winter. Most reservoirs are now nearly full or waiting to
be topped off as late as possible this winter to avoid spring
wind and wave erosional damage. It appeared recently that ARKANSAS RIVER NR. PORTLAND
a spill at John Martin Reservoir would be likely in early ISO FLOW BY WATER TEAR
March. However, redirecting water out to the Great Plains 140
Reservoirs should avoid a spill condition at John Martin 130
120 '
Reservoir.
110
i
to 100
Administrative/Management Concerns :I 9a --
The Division of Water Resource's Ground Water Team 2 Ba
in Pueblo, in cooperation with members of the Information s70 '
Technology Team in Denver, continue to make progress ! 60
sa
towards updating data on irrigated acreage in the lower part 40
of the basin. Acquisition of satellite imagery is underway that 30
will be used to try and determine total irrigated acreage in the 20 -
Oct Nov Dec Jen Feb March
lower basin, and to assist in quantifying acreage irrigated by ,
wells. The satellite imagery may also be benefital in ° VET""" ° °R �'9'7, e 6 1209
identifying and quantifying crop types for use in improving
modeling efforts used to track Colorado's compliance with the
interstatecompact. Training that will take place as part of this
process should be a long term benefit in terms of the REPRESENTATIVE RESERVOIRS
Division's ability to continually improve and utilize GIS szo ARKANSAS RIVER BASIN
information for other projects. 300-
260-
26a-
Public Use Impacts 240-
3 220-
The whole basin has had a very mild winter. The a eaa-
�n
warm temperatures have limited ice fishing and skiing -I 100-
a" 160- \ \
enjoyment but have allowed regular boatingand other 42 140-
S� W C
summertime type of activities on reservoirs and streams.
i 100-/
3 90J /\/\ `
40-�
60__
a
John Vartln Pueblo Tr4uoleo Twin Lakes
® Avq. 1/31 Content. L,2Y 1/31/99 Content.
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