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t COLORADO WATER SUPPLY CONDITIONS UPDATE OM THE OFFICE OF THE STATE ENGINEER; COLORADO DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES November, 1997 10M 818,1313 SHERMAN ST.,DENVER,CO 80203; (303)-866-3581 Water supply conditions remained good throughout the state in October with little change from the previous month. Greater than normal stream flow,precipitation, and reservoir storage generally predominated producing the upscale SWSI values. Use of water for irrigation ended during October. Wet conditions were reported to have caused some difficulties in the late harvesting of crops in the South Platte and Yampa basins. October is the start of a new water year, and the time when thoughts begin to turn to the upcoming winter snowpack which will supply the bulk of next year's water supply. The Surface Water Supply Index (SWSI) developed by this office and the U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service is used as an indicator of mountain based water supply conditions in the major river basins of the state. It is based on stream flow, reservoir storage, and precipitation for the summer period (May through October). During the summer period stream flow is the primary component in all basins except the South Platte basin where reservoir storage is given the most weight. The following SWSI values were computed for each of the seven major basins for November 1,1997 and reflect conditions during the month of October. November 1, 1997 Change From Change From Basin SWSI Value Previous Month Previous Year South Platte 3.9 0.0 +0.9 Arkansas 2.5 +0.2 +0.9 Rio Grande 3.7 +0.1 +3.7 Gunnison 2.8 +0.1 +1.1 Colorado 3.8 +0.1 +1.9 Yampa/White 3.8 -0.4 +3.0 San Juan/Dolores 3.2 -0.6 +1.4 SCALE -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 Severe Moderate Near Normal Above Normal Abundant Drought Drought Supply Supply Supply 1