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RIO GRANDE BASIN December, 1998 <br /> • <br /> Basinwide Conditions Assessment: <br /> The SWSI value of 3.0 indicates that for November the RIO GRANDE BASIN <br /> Surface Water Supply Index History <br /> basin water supplies were above normal. The Natural s - <br /> Resources Conservation Service reports December 1 snowpack 4.. <br /> is 159% of normal. Flow at the gaging station Rio Grande L <br /> near Del Norte averaged 355 cfs, as compared to the long 3 r .., Lik <br /> term average of 263 cfs. The Conejos River near Mogote had 2-• ., =s - <br /> a mean flow of 78 cfs (80% of normal). Storage in Platoro, 1 1- ; _ <br /> 1 <br /> Rio Grande, and Santa Maria reservoirs totaled 109% of i ° �� 1 r <br /> 1!):1 <br /> normal as of the end of November. T ,4, "` <br /> Mr <br /> Precipitation in Alamosa was 0.35 inches,0.08 inches _ r 1 <br /> below normal. Temperatures ranged from 9° to 64° in o _2 <br /> Alamosa where the average monthly temperature was 34.1°, -3- 1 <br /> 4.2°above normal. -4 ,............. . T_. <br /> 'JANB9 JAN90 JAN91 JAN92 JAN93 JAN94 JAN95 JAN9S JAN97 J9B AN <br /> Stream flow in the Rio Grande and its tributaries had YEA19/1,13M11 <br /> been generally below average since March. However, there <br /> has been much improvement in the past 2 months. <br /> Outlook <br /> A solid start to building this winter's snowpack has PIO GRANDE NP. DELNORTE <br /> fueled optimism that there will be a plentiful supply in 1999. 170 FLOW BY WATER YEAR <br /> 160 - -- <br /> 150 <br /> Administrative/Management Concerns 140 <br /> As of December 1, Rio Grande Compact deliveries to s 130 - <br /> the state line appear to be on target to meet Colorado's 1998 : 12 <br /> 0 <br /> obligation. #i 100 <br /> The 79CW91 recharge decree of the Rio Grande Water W g °° 4. <br /> Users Association was invoked on November 9. This decree s v <br /> 70 <br /> granted to right to make diversions during November and 1 6° • <br /> December to maintain and replenish its members supply of 50 a <br /> 40 <br /> ��- �� <br /> water for irrigation through the use of surface diversions to 30 .r��I <br /> recharge the underground aquifers. The 6 ditches decreed as 20 --- <br /> Oct Nov Dee Jan Feb March <br /> points of diversion for the decree are the Rio Grande Canal, MONTH <br /> the Monte Vista Canal, the Farmers Union Canal,the Empire ° "E'(1937) ° DRY 01977) a AVG x 1999 <br /> Canal, the Prairie Ditch, and the Centennial Ditch. They <br /> began this year's diversions by running approximately 350 cfs. <br /> Diversions were discontinued on December 7 as weather <br /> conditions turned much colder. <br /> Many ditches in the Conejos River drainage also ran <br /> water during November to recharge the aquifer after a season REPRESENTATIVE RESERVOIRS <br /> of heavy withdrawal. 22 Rio Grande Bach <br /> 21-. <br /> 20- J <br /> 19- <br /> Public Use Impacts 19 <br /> 17- <br /> The mild temperatures and low wind during i ,,5 <br /> November allowed farmers to work in their fields much longer i, <br /> en _ /\//.\\ <br /> ' <br /> than expected. Snowpack that accumulated in October and ag 1;1� <br /> early November began to melt,increasing stream flow in most o g 10 <br /> wv 9 <br /> drainages. / \\\,.. <br /> 5 <br /> 432 <br /> A /\ <br /> RI.Grande Platoro SantaAYrfa <br /> ® Avp. 11/30 Content* ® 11/30/99 content. <br /> 5 <br />