Monday, May 22, 2006

Snowpack The winter snowpack is melting quickly, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "Thanks to another warm, dry spring, mountain snow depths have plunged below average in every region of Colorado. At some measuring stations near treeline, the snow already has melted. Many others may be snowless by Memorial Day weekend. The early loss of snow bodes trouble for farmers reliant on river water and for firefighters warily watching dry forests. The good news for water users: Colorado reservoir levels remain close to normal, partly because conservation programs have lowered municipal consumption dramatically... "What particularly troubles him [Klaus Wolter, a University of Colorado climatologist] is a prolonged weather shift: April and May should be among the wettest months in Colorado, and the state has not seen a cool, wet spring since 1995... "On April 1, the snowpack in the mountains feeding the San Miguel, Dolores, Animas and San Juan rivers in southwest Colorado was 68 percent of normal, and the Upper Rio Grande basin 64 percent. By Friday, the snowpack in the southwest basin had dropped to 19 percent of normal for the date and the Rio Grande to 25 percent... "Since April 1, snowpack depths have dropped from 114 percent to 57 percent of normal in the Yampa-White basin, from 110 percent to 57 percent in the Colorado basin, from 107 percent to 68 percent in the North Platte basin and from 103 percent to 65 percent in the South Platte basin. Wolter expects the remaining snow will disappear two to four weeks early throughout Colorado, with most basins melting out by the first week of June." Category: Colorado Water 4:57:51 AM     Drought in the South Platte valley Here's an article about the return of drought to Colorado from the Rocky Mountain News. They write, "There are troubling signs that drought is swiftly returning to the South Platte River Basin, even as farmers and cities battle over irrigation water. In the past 50 days, forecasts for the river's flows have dropped roughly 50 percent, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The South Platte, which supplies half the water for metro-area cities and thousands of acres of farmland, will generate just 150,000 acre-feet of water between now and Sept. 30, according to the NRCS. Utility managers had been counting on a previous forecast of roughly 300,000 acre-feet of water melting out of the snowpack. High temperatures and hot winds have robbed the river of billions of gallons of water, vaporizing moisture from the snowpack even as parched soils along the river's banks soak up water from the stream... "Seven weeks ago, farmers and water utility managers were confident that heavy mountain snows would melt, flooding some rivers, turning farm fields green and filling reservoirs. The April 1 forecast for South Platte water supplies stood at 118 percent of average, the best it had been in years. Thirty days later, though, it had plummeted to just 65 percent of average... "Denver Water, the state's largest water utility, said it has seen demand surge in recent days, as hot spring weather settled into the metro area. But its reservoirs are 86 percent full and rising, according to Bob Steger, water resources engineer, well ahead of the 72 percent mark they hit at this time in 2002, when levels began to fall. Still, it is the long-term trend that has farmers and water managers worried that 2006 may signal that Colorado is entering a chronic dry spell. Winters have been routinely dry since 1997. Only one year out of the past eight, 2005, has delivered average or above-average snows to the state, according to the NRCS. This year, of Colorado's eight major river basins, only one, the Rio Grande, is in worse shape than the South Platte, with the Arkansas Basin also witnessing hot temperatures and rapidly shrinking streams." Category: Colorado Water 4:35:28 AM     Augmentation at John Martin reservoir Here's an article from the Pueblo Chieftain with details about a recent agreement to provide an interruptible supply of water for wildlife at John Martin Reservoir. From the article, "The concept of an interruptible supply to serve cities has been initiated in recent years, with farms supplying water to urban areas in dry years. This plan would work just the opposite by allowing farmers to use the water to replace depletions from pumping in dry years. The plan was spelled out last week at the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District monthly meeting, and the district may become an investor in the deal. The plan is part of the Lower Arkansas Water Management Association's water court case to change use of water in seven ditch systems from agriculture to augmentation. The Colorado Division of Wildlife and Colorado State Parks will invest $2.4 million toward purchase half of the Kessee Ditch, a 6-mile long canal below John Martin Reservoir. LAWMA will add $1.2 million to the purchase, LAWMA attorney David Harrison told the Lower Ark board. LAWMA, which already owns the other half of the Kessee, has purchased numerous other water rights which formerly irrigated more than 13,750 acres to augment well-pumping. Its 231 members operate 675 wells, mostly for irrigation. Other uses include things like gravel pits, schools or feed lots... "Under the plan, the state would use more than 1,600 acre-feet of water from the Kessee in nine years out of 12 to supplement the conservation pool in John Martin Reservoir, a flood control and state compact structure where water levels can fluctuate wildly. A state park was created at John Martin in 2001, giving the state incentive to protect wildlife habitat at the reservoir. In the other three years, LAWMA would use the water. Harrison said LAWMA would choose dry years, so that pumping could be maximized." Category: Colorado Water 4:19:41 AM

© Copyright 2006 John Orr. Last update: 12/29/06; 11:39:57 AM.