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r <br /> COLORADO <br /> WATER SUPPLY CONDITIONS UPDATE <br /> ROM THE OFFICE OF THE STATE ENGINEER; COLORADO DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES -4'cbr/uaxy 1996 <br /> ROOM 818,1313 SHERMAN ST.,DENVER,CO 80203; (303)-866-3581 Mare I <br /> Statewide,the March 1st snowpack is 117% of normal as reported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. <br /> Both the snowpack and SWSI figures indicate that the higher water supplies are in the northern mountains, with the <br /> southern mountains below normal. The South Platte basin had the highest snowpack percentage at 152% of average, and <br /> the Rio Grande Basin has the lowest at 69% of average. Reservoir storage remains optimistic, with a statewide average <br /> content of approximately 146% of normal at the end of February. <br /> The Surface Water Supply Index (SWSI) developed by this office and the U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation <br /> Service is used as an indicator of mountain based water supply conditions in the major river basins of the state. It is based <br /> • on snowpack,reservoir storage, and precipitation for the winter period (November through April). During the winter period <br /> snowpack is the primary component in all basins except the South Platte basin where reservoir storage is given the most <br /> weight. The following SWSI values were computed for each of the seven major basins for March 1, 1996 and reflect <br /> conditions during the month of February. <br /> March 1, 1996 Change From Change From <br /> Basin SWSI Value Previous Month Previous Year <br /> South Platte +3.8 +0.3 +3.2 <br /> Arkansas +2.4 -0.1 +1.5 <br /> Rio Grande -1.7 +0.3 -4.8 <br /> Gunnison +1.7 +0.9 -0.1 <br /> Colorado +1.9 -0.5 +0.8 <br /> Yampa/White +2.7 -0.1 +2.7 <br /> San Juan/Dolores -1.7 +0.2 -3.9 <br /> SCALE <br /> -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 <br /> Severe Moderate Near Normal Above Normal Abundant <br /> Drought Drought Supply Supply Supply <br /> ' 1 <br />