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j� . t. COLORADO WATER SUPPLY CONDITIONS UPDATE OM THE OFFICE OF THE STATE ENGINEER; COLORADO DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES June, 1994 DM 818,1313 SHERMAN ST.,DENVER,CO 80203; (303)-866-3581 The months of May and June are when the majority of mountain snowpack melts and the spring runoff occures in Colorado. When the snowpack is small or warm weather occures early the runoff may peak in May. This year, a number of areas of the state, including the South Platte drainage and the northwest portion of the state report an early runoff peak. Some of the southern areas of the state are expecting a peak in June. Due to this winter's below normal snowpack subdued stream flows are expected statewide throughout the spring and summer. Reservoir storage remains above average statewide, and is at 123% of normal as of the end of May. The National Weather Service reports statewide precipitation for May at 81% of normal. 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 June 1, 1994 and reflect conditions during the month of May. June 1, 1994 Change From Change From Basin SWSI Value Previous Month Previous Year South Platte +2.6 -0.1 - `1 +2.4 --" Arkansas +2.4 +2.1 -0.5 Rio Grande +1.5 -0.2 -- •9. +0.1 -U 7 Gunnison +0.7 +0.6 -o.6 -2.8 _ 2-1I Colorado -0.4 -0.4 - ' °/ -3.1 - 7 Yampa/White -2.9 -1.4 -0 -4.6 - g- San Juan/Dolores +0.3 +0.6 -"7-l -3.2 - SCALE -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 Severe Moderate Near Normal Above Normal Abundant Drought Drought Supply Supply Supply 1