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ARKANSAS BASIN March, 1998 <br /> Basinwide Conditions Assessment: <br /> The SWSI value of-0.8 indicates that for February the ARKANSAS RIVER BASIN <br /> basin water supplies were near normal. The Natural 5 SlrTap Water Supp I y hulas History <br /> Resources Conservation Service reports March 1 snowpack as 4- <br /> 99% of normal. Flow at the gaging station Arkansas River _ .7 <br /> 4.1 lf <br /> near Portland averaged 391 cfs, as compared to the long term 3 i <br /> average of 345 cfs. Storage in Turquoise,Twin Lakes,Pueblo, 2- i i, 1. <br /> and John Martin reservoirs totaled 204% of normal as of the - : r ; ^— t <br /> end of February. i, <br /> Within the basin, the southern tributaries have the _ 91 highest snowpack reading, with the Apishipa site being the J ) L <br /> highest at 156% of average. The sites at the headwaters of o _2_ : 'I . <br /> the Arkansas River main stem are 80%-90% of average. This -3- <br /> season's basinwide snowpack was consistently above average -� <br /> JAN99 JAN90 JAN91 JAN92 JAN93 JAN94 JAN95 JAN96 JAN97 JAMB <br /> until mid-February when it decreased to the current levels. w:iww,.... <br /> Outlook <br /> Storage levels in the basin's reservoirs continues to <br /> remain high. Current levels are 231% of normal, compared <br /> with last year's 125% of normal at this time. These high ARKANSAS RIVER NR, PORTLAND <br /> levels, combined with a near normal snowpack, should 150 FLOW BY WATER YEAR <br /> provide for adequate water supplies to major water users this 140 <br /> year. The current outlook also suggests larger than normal 130 <br /> 120 <br /> flow levels crossing the state line into Kansas. 1 110 <br /> S <br /> ....-"": ' <br /> L n lop <br /> Administrative/Management Concerns `i e0 <br /> The Winter Water storage season ends on March 14. g B0 <br /> 1. <br /> Only four irrigation companies stored water this season as s V 73 -- _ _ .__ <br /> these entities were the only ones with available storage space. °° <br /> sa <br /> Of these four, only the Great Plains Reservoir system still has ,0 /7 <br /> space remaining as of the beginning of March. These entities 30 <br /> are decreed for 265,000 acre-feet and currently have about 20 <br /> Oct Nov Doe Jan Fab Moen <br /> 99,000 acre-feet in storage. The other Winter Water ,,b„r„ <br /> participants which normally store were not allowed to, or WET 0R." Ay` X 1°9e <br /> elected not to, store due to full conditions at John Martin " 4_ <br /> Reservoir and storage restrictions at Pueblo Reservoir that <br /> would have necessitated evacuation of any Winter Waters by <br /> May 1. Representative Reservoirs <br /> Arkansas River Basin <br /> 350 <br /> 300- <br /> i 250- <br /> i <br /> in <br /> �! 200- <br /> hF <br /> Mt <br /> 150- / <br /> r P\ <br /> 0 \/\i 100-../7\ <br /> 50 <br /> \ 1/\ <br /> John Mart In A4s010 Twauol sO Twin Lakes <br /> ® At;. 2/26 Contents ® 2/29/99 Contents <br /> 4 <br />