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RIO GRANDE BASIN February, 1998 <br /> Basinwide Conditions Assessment: <br /> The SWSI value of-1.0 indicates that for January the RIO GRANDE BASIN <br /> basin water supplies were near normal. The Natural s Surface watK Supply Index History <br /> Resources Conservation Service reports February 1 snowpack 4 <br /> as 79% of normal. Flow at the gaging station Rio Grande , ; S <br /> near Del Norte averaged 233 cfs, as compared to the long 3 r . . w ..... <br /> term average of 168 cfs. The Conejos River near Mogote had 2-• = x .. <br /> a mean flow of 50 cfs. Flow across the New Mexico stateline 1 1- , j {_ --�- r <br /> averaged 154% of normal. Storage in Platoro, Rio Grande, I <br /> and Santa Maria reservoirs totaled 93% of normal as of the _ I <br /> �'' ' CO <br /> • <br /> end of January. P. ' 0 <br /> Alamosa received a trace of precipitation during o 0 kl <br /> January, 0.26 inches below normal. The high temperature 3- <br /> was 42°in Alamosa,the low-15°, and the average 15.4°,0.7° -4 <br /> JAN9S JAN90 JAN91 JAN92 JAN93 JAN94 JAN95 JAN99 JAN97 JAN99 <br /> above normal. YEAR/MONTN <br /> Outlook <br /> At some point the less than average precipitation and <br /> snowpack will force stream flow in the basin back to normal <br /> or below normal levels. El Nino has not provided a bounty of PIO GRANDE NR. DELNORTE <br /> precipitation to the San Luis Valley so far. 170 FLOW 9Y WATER YEAR <br /> It seems the upper Rio Grande basin has fallen into an 160 <br /> 150 <br /> alternating annual cycle of wet then dry years. 1993, 1995, 140 <br /> and 1997 had ample precipitation and runoff, while 1992, ,30 <br /> 1994, and 1996 were drier with below average runoff. 1 <br /> 20 <br /> Although it is still too early to predict, 1998 seems to be -0 4 100 <br /> shaping up to be a dryer year. g 90 <br /> 5 70 <br /> Public Use Impacts 1 60 • <br /> Lack of recent snow fall has resulted in less than s° 1 <br /> 40 <br /> optimum conditions for skiing and snowmobiling. 30 �f - <br /> 20 <br /> Oct Nov Oec Jen Feb March <br /> MGNTN <br /> p WET[1497) d °RY(1977) A AVG x 1996 <br /> REPERSENTATIVE RESERVOIRS <br /> RIO GR 99 BASIN30 <br /> - <br /> 25 <br /> 24. <br /> s.. 22- <br /> 20- <br /> y 19- \ <br /> rcop <br /> . N <br /> es <br /> Rld Grande Pletaro Senteuerle <br /> ® Avg. 1/31 Content. ® 1/31/9e Wntente <br /> 5 <br />