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COLORADO WATER SUPPLY CONDITIONS UPDATE FROM THE OFFICE OF THE STATE ENGINEER; COLORADO DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES June, 1998 ROOM 818,1313 SHERMAN ST.,DENVER,CO 80203; (303)-866-3581 The SWSI values indicate that the north half of the state is in a slightly better condition than the south half,although no area is currently in a water short condition. While most of the state had received acceptable snowpack during the winter, and stream flows have generally been expected to be near average as a result, reports from the southwest mountains now indicate a reduced water supply with less stream flows occurring than had been hoped for. Reports from the Rio Grande and San Juan/Dolores basins state that windy conditions during May contributed to a reduction in snowpack and a drying trend. Reservoir storage remains high across the state. 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 June 1, 1998 and reflect conditions during the month of May. June 1, 1998 Change From Change From Basin SWSI Value Previous Month Previous Year South Platte 3.2 +1.0 +0.6 Arkansas -0.7 -0.8 -3.2 Rio Grande 0.5 -1.2 -1.6 Gunnison 0.6 -1.4 -2.2 Colorado 1.1 +1.0 -2.1 Yampa/White 2.2 +3.8 -1.1 San Juan/Dolores 0.9 +0.8 -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