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COLORADO kr WATER SUPPLY CONDITIONS UPDATE tOM THE OFFICE OF THE STATE ENGINEER; COLORADO DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES July 1997 OOM 818,1313 SHERMAN ST.,DENVER,CO 80203; (303)-866-3581 Water supply conditions are currently excellent throughout Colorado. Stream flows,reservoir storage amounts,and precipitation were nearly all above normal during June creating good SWSI values in all 7 major mountain based river basins. Of special note is the greatly improved conditions in the Rio Grande and San Juan/Dolores basins compared to last year when the southwest corner of the state was experiencing a drought. This year's snowmelt runoff peaked during June,with nearly all rivers flowing at above average levels. Fortunatly, there were only limited reports of any flooding. Many rivers experienced more junior water right calls than normal, with a few such as the South Platte and Colorado mainstems having no call. 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 July 1, 1997 and reflect conditions during the month of June. July 1, 1997 Change From Change From Basin SWSI Value Previous Month Previous Year South Platte 3.7 +1.1 +0.5 Arkansas 3.6 +1.1 +0.8 Rio Grande 2.3 +0.2 +5.1 Gunnison 3.6 +0.8 +2.7 Colorado 2.9 -0.3 +1.1 Yampa/White 2.9 -0.4 +1.9 San Juan/Dolores 2.5 -0.1 +5.3 SCALE -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 Severe Moderate Near Normal Above Normal Abundant Drought Drought Supply Supply Supply 1