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COLORADO WATER SUPPLY CONDITIONS UPDATE ROM THE OFFICE OF THE STATE ENGINEER; COLORADO DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES November, 1994 OOM 818,1313 SHERMAN ST.,DENVER,CO 80203; (303)-866-3581 At least slightly improved conditions were experienced over most all of the state during October. Most basin administrators reported welcomed precipitation during October,which continued a trend began in September. The Yampa, White,and upper Colorado river basins in the northwest quadrant of the state have the lowest SWSI values due to low flows at the index stream gaging stations. The National Weather Service reports statewide precipitation for October as 134%of normal. The Weather Service 30 day outlook as of November 1 shows expectations for below normal temperatures and above normal precipitation statewide. Its November 1st 90 day outlook is for both above normal temperatures and precipitation over the whole state. The Surface Water Supply Index (SWSI) developed by this office and the U.S.D.A. Soil 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 flows, 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 basins on November 1, 1994 and reflect conditions during the month of October. November 1, 1994 Change From Change From Basin SWSI Value Previous Month Previous Year South Platte +1.9 +0.1 -1.1 Arkansas +2.0 +2.4 -0.3 Rio Grande +1.6 +0.7 +1.9 Gunnison +0.8 +2.4 -0.2 Colorado -1.4 +0.1 -3.5 Yampa/White -3.0 +0.2 -3.9 San Juan/Dolores +1.4 +0.2 +1.7 SCALE -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 Severe Moderate Near Normal Above Normal Abundant Drought Drought Supply Supply Supply 1