Historic, Archive Document Do not assume content reflects current scientific lins iiilli ihf .Sm.ir Siiri Water Supply Outlook for Colorado and New Mexico — Page 2 GUNNISON RIVER y^/j^jERSHED IN COLORADO COLORADO SUMMARy of SNOW MEASUREMENTS LEGEND J Snow Co^n* • SNOtEL Sit, STUeAMFLOW FQRfriST! p«c.^„„.o«E«sn Over 130% U I IJ no-i3iw EUl »o-iio% 1. J 70- 9mt Under 70% YOUR WATER SUPPLY PRECIPITATION FOR MARCH WAS 127J OF AVERAGE, WHICH BROUGHT THE SEASON TOTAL TO 72%. THE SNOWPACK HAS INCREASED FROM 472 ON THE GUNNISON RIVER WATERSHED TO 61% OF AVERAGE WHILE THE HNCOHPAHGRE RIVER WATERSHED INCREASED FROM 4 7% TO 652 OF AVERAGE. STREAMFLOW FORECASTS HAVE INCREASED SLIGHTLY OVER LAST MONTH WITH SURFACE CREEK CHANGING FROM 59% TO 72% OF AVERAGE. RESERVOIR STORAGE IS ABOVE AVERAGE EXCEPT TAYLOR RESERVOIR WHICH IS AT 79 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. BLUE MESA RESERVOIR IS 126 PERCENT OF AVERAGE AND MORROW POINT IS 111 PERCENT. SOIL MOISTURE IS RATED AS PAIR TO POOR IN THE IRRIGATED AREAS. STREAMFLOW FORECASTS (1B00 Ac Fl.) Ap,ii FORECAST POINT Gunnison River inflow to Blue Mesa Reservoir (1) Gunnison River near Grand Junction (2^ North Fork of Gunnison (3) Surface Creek at Cedaredge Uncompahgre River at Colona 430 530 175 754.0 1158.0 2«.0 15.2 129.0 WATER SUPPU OUTLOOK Ohio Creek Fair Poor Slate River Fair Poor Taylor River Fair Poor Tomlchi Creek Fair Poor RESERVOIR STORAGE (Ihousanil Ac. Fl,) s»t Blue Mesa 830 412 360 328 Morrow Point 121 115 115 104 Taylor 106 50 65 63 Gunnison 13 39 61 Surface Creek 3 45 72 Uncompahgre 3 50 65 GUNNISON BASIN Gunnison River Alexander Lake 50 14.9 33 9 21 Blue Mesa 3/31 23 5 . 6 10 8 7 1 Butte 3/31 15 1 Cochetopa Pass (B) 3/27 18 4*5 6 4 5 9 Crested Butte 3/30 18 4.3 25 3 13 2 Keystone 7 .7 35 7 19 4 Lake City 3/26 17 4.0 9 6 7 2 Mesa Lakes (B) 3/26 42 12.4 24 4 16 5 McClure Pass 3/31 38 10.7 23 2 15 4 Park Cone 3/25 26 6.0 16 5 10 1 Park Reservoir 3/26 58 16.4 38 6 22 5 Porphyry Creek 3/30 36 10.2 21 1 16 2 Slumgullion 3/26 33 9.0 16 1 Tomichi 3/30 24 6.4 15 0 12 7 Surface Creek Alexander Lake 3/26 50 14.9 33 9 21 4 Mesa Lakes 3/26 42 12.4 24 4 16 5 Park Reservoir 3/26 58 16.4 38 6 22 5 Uncompahgre River Idarado 3/30 35 9.4 19 0 Ironton Park 3/30 31 8.6 17 0 13 3 Red Mountain Pass 3/26 66 18.3 37 5 29 7 Telluride (B) 3/25 20 5.8 11 4 7 1 WATERSHED SNOWPACK Based on 5 Selecled Snow Courses* MA 1 !IMUM OF REC ORO c::::^ 1 IMUM OF REC FEB. Isl MflR. Isi APR 1st MAY Ist '''Crested BuCCe, IronLon Park, Park Cone, Park Reservoir. Porphyry Creek. LIST OF COOPERATORS The following orgonizoHons cooperate in snow surveys for the Colorado, Platte, Arkansas and Rio Grande watersheds. Many other organizations ond Individuals furnish voluable information for the snow sun/ey reports. Their cooperotion is gratefully acknowledged. S TA TE Colornrl^ ^ i , F " WATER USERS ORGANIZATIONS ---^ ^rJi7w^;-^c^=;- .... Colorodo Stole University Experiment Station Rocky Mounloin Forest ond Ronge Experiment Station IRRIGATION PROJECTS New Mexico Dept. oF Game and Fish Formers Reservoir and Irrigotlon Company University of Colorodo, INSTAAR San Lois Valley I r r i ga t ! on D i s t r i c t "°"AL cos;iii?tin;v::;:':y'°"''°"'' Deportment of Agriculture Montezuma I r r i go t i o n C o . Soil 'conVeVv'i,^l„„ S.,,;,. Uncompohgre Valley Water Users' Associol Oeporfment ^ruterior T "c h e°ra"l r r tg ^ [ r^n 'c o".' ^""'""^ Geological Survey Nationol Pork Service CORPORATIONS uepartment of Commerce Asoen String r ^^,^^NOAA,^N.io , weather Service ^f^^Hl' Cor^- Notl'onofT'" J c Copper Mountain Ski Area God7 J . "/"^ ^P"" Administration Lake Eldora Corp. Goddord Space Flight Center Vail A ssoc io te s , In c or poro te d INVESTOR OWNED UTILITIES Vermejo Pork Corp. (MM) Colorodo Public Service Compony L°o'r a°d o 7 ' • ' ° r' ^ompony P-'blic Service Company of New ^Mexico MUNICIPALITIES Citv of oln - PRIVATE CITIZENS Water Supply Outlook tor Colorado and New Mexico — Page 3 COLORADO RIVER ^^"^BRSHED IN COLORADO / SNOTEL Site STREAMFLOW FORECASTS Perc eni of 1963-77 Average frm no-130-. |: 1 90-110% l» ' I 70- 90% Y / A Under 7(nfe SUMMtRV ol SNOW MEkSUREMENTS YOUR WATER SUPPLY PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH WAS 37 PERCENT ABOVE NORMAL. THIS IMPROVED THE SEASONAL READING TO 70 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. MOUNTAIN SNOWPACK READINGS TAKEN NEAR APRIL 1 INDICATE THE WATER CONTENT TO BE 54 PERCENT OF AVERAGE FOR THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN COMPARED TO 38 PERCENT LAST MONTH. HOWEVER, SOME SNOW COURSES NEAR THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE REMAIN ONLY SLIGHTLY ABOVE MINIMUM OF RECORD. SNOWMELT RUNOFF PREDICTIONS RANGE FROM 35 PERCENT OF NORMAL ON THE WILLIAMS FORK TO 69 PERCENT OF AVERAGE ON THE ROARING FORK RIVER. RESERVOIR STORAGE IS 131 PERCENT OF AVERAGE BUT 12 PERCENT BELOW A YEAR AGO. STREAMFLOW FORECItSTS (1000 «c Ft ) Ap, - Sepi FORECAST POINT Avcragt 1 East Fork Troublesome Creek near TYoubiesome 5 29 Blue River inflow to Dillon Reservoir 95 57 Blue River inflow to Green Mountain Reservoir (1) 165 57 287.1? Colorado River near Cameo (2) 1400 60 2336.6 Colorado River near Dotsero (3) 750 53 1422.0 Colorado River inflow to Granby Reservoir (4) 140 64 218.0 Eagle River below Gypsum 150 50 697.0 Roaring Fork at Glenwood Springs (5) 480 69 59.0 Williams Fork near Parsliall (6) 23 35 48.0 Willow Creek inflow to Willow Creek Reservoir 24 50 298.0 RESERVOIR STORAGE (Tliousani >i Fl ) WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK Dillon 254 184 226 199 Brush Fair Poor Granby 466 367 245 220 Gypsum Creek Fair Poor Green Mountain 139 70 58 56 Homes take 43 6 17 16 Ruedi 101 77 55 59 Vega 32 11 12 12 Williams Fork 97 70 44 33 Willow Creek 9 6 7 7 Blue River 8 38 52 Colorado 20 38 54 Plateau 3 45 73 Roaring Fork 8 47 61 Williams Fork 3 47 63 Willow 2 42 55 »0W COURSE MEASURMENn COLORADO BASIN Blue Rtver Blue River Fremont Pass Grizzly Peak Hoosier Pass Officers Gulch Shrine Pass Snake River Summit Ranch Colorado River Arrow Berthoud Pass Berclioud Summit Cooper Kill Copper Mountain Glennuir Ranch Gore Pass Grand Lake Lake Irene Lapland Lulu Lynx Pass HcKenzie Gulch Middle Fork M liner North Inlet Phantom Valley Ranch Creek Tennessee Vasf Vail Mountain Vastjuez Plateau Creek Mesa Lakes Park Reservoir Trickle Divide Aspen Independenc Ivaiilioe Kiln Lift HcClure Puss Nast North Lost Trail Williams Fork River Glenmar Ranch Jones Pass Middle Fork UCe Pass mi low Creek Granby Willow Creek Pass WATERSHED SNOWPACK Based on 7 Selected Snow Courses^ [ 1 r MAXIMUM OF REC ORO MINIMUM OF RECOBO 0^ 1 — — 1 — rn^ FEB. l!l MO" 1" OKK 15T •- •Berthoud Pass, Grizzly Peak. Independence Pass, Lake Irene, Lynx Pass, Shrine F«.. Wallow Creek Springtime comes Water Supply Outlook for Colorado and New Mexico - Page 4 SOUTH PLATTE RIVER WATERSHED IN COLORADO J W Y 0 Mj I SUMMARY of SNOW MEASUDEMENTS LEGEh Snow CourM, * SNOIEL SII, -f "63-77 A„„5 taWi Over 130% II I II 110-13CBt |::::| 90-1 10% I I 70- Y/ A Under 70% YOUR WATER SUPPLY SNOWPACK FOR THE BASIN HAS INCREASED FOR THE MONTH THROUGH A SERIES OF STORMS. THE BIG THOMPSON WATERSHED HAS INCREASED FROM 31% OF AVERAGE TO 48% FOR APRIL 1. CACHE LA POUDRE AND THE SOUTH PLATTE WATERSHEDS INCREASED ABOUT 20% OVER LAST MONTH'S READINGS. PRECIPITATION WAS 139% OF AVERAGE. THIS BROUGHT THE SEASONAL AVERAGE TO 71Z. STREAMFLOW FORECASTS HAVE INCREASED BECAUSE OF ABOVE AVERAGE PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH. THEY NOW RANGE FROM 49% ON THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER TO 66% ON THE CACHE LA POUDRE RIVER. RESERVOIR STORAGE IS NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE FOR MOST RESERVOIRS AFFECTING THE IRRIGATED AREAS. STKIMFLOW FOMCkSTS (1000 kC. Ft.) Ap,il - Seplembe, 1963-77 Bear Creek at Morrison 16 58 28.0 Big Thompson River at Drake (1) 61 60 102.0 Boulder Creek at Orodell 24 53 45.1 Cache La Poudre River ac Canyon Mouth (2) 160 66 243.0 Clear Creek at Golden (3) 60 50 120.0 St. Vrain Creek at Lyons 40 56 71.6 South Platte River at South Platte 95 49 193.0 WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK RESEBVOIR STORACE (Tlmnsand Ac Ft.) ^ Coal Creek Poor Poor North Fork of South Poor Poor Platte North Fork of Cache Fair Poor La Poudre Ralston Creek Poor Poor Rock Creek Poor Poor South Platte from Fair Poor Greeley to Fort Morgan South Platte from Fair Poor Fort Morgan to Sterling South Platte below Fair Poor Sterling Antero 16 16 16 14 Barr Lake 32 30 26 25 Black Hollow 8 3 5 4 Boyd Lake 44 36 42 37 Cache La Poudre 10 8 10 8 Carter Lake 109 93 106 99 Chambers Lake 9 3 6 3 Cheesman 79 78 71 49 Cobb Lake 34 12 20 14 Eleven Mile 98 98 98 87 Emp ire 38 33 33 33 Fossil Creek 12 6 6 9 Gross 43 21 21 26 Halligan 6 6 6 5 Horse tooth 144 121 127 109 Jackson 35 33 32 34 Julesburg 28 23 23 22 Lake Loveland 14 10 12 10 Lone Tree 9 3 8 6 Mariano 5 5 5 5 Marshall 10 5 8 5 Mars ton 17 15 16 15 Milton 24 18 17 15 Point of Rocks 70 72 70 66 Prewitt 33 27 27 23 Riverside 58 63 40 59 Standley 42 34 41 25 Terry 8 5 5 5 Union 13 12 13 10 Windsor 19 14 14 12 Big Thompson 5 33 48 Boulder 3 36 46 Cache La Poudre 9 45 60 Clear Creek 5 41 52 Saint Vrain 3 27 50 South Platte 7 35 50 »ow ima mmmm SOUTH PLATTE BASIN Boulder Creek Baltimore Boulder Falls Lake Eldora University Camp Niwot Big Thompson Rive Bear Lake Deer Ridge Hidden Valley Lake Irene (B) Long's Peak Two Mile Willow Park Cache La Poudre Bennett Creek Big South Cameron Pass Chambers Lake Deadman Hill Hourglass Lake Joe Wright Lost Lake Red Feather Cle Creek Baltimore (B) Berthoud Falls Empire Grizzly Peak (B) Loveland Pass St. Vrain River Copeland Lake Ward Wild Basin South Platte River oe Mountain Pass 3/27 4/01 3/26 4/01 4/01 3/30 3/29 3/29 3/27 3/25 3/29 3/31 3/30 3/30 3/30 3/30 3/31 3/30 3/30 3/30 3/31 3/27 3/27 3/27 3/31 3/31 3/27 3/27 3/26 3/30 3/31 3/30 3/30 3/27 3/27 4 .4 1.2 15.8 2.6 5.6 3.4 10.9 9.0 8.1 13.7 29.3 15.0 18.5 27.5 11.8 5.2 28.5 13.4 19,3 10.8 27.7 20.4 20.0 10.1 9,4 17.2 WATERSHED SNOVl^PACK 3Qsed on 5 Selected Snow Courses'^ MA