Thursday, April 26, 2007

Snowpack It's hard to sit here in waterlogged Denver and believe that much of Colorado is experiencing dry conditions, but that is the case, according to the Summit Daily News (free registration required). From the article, "The National Weather Service said more than 2 feet of snow fell in parts of the foothills west of Denver Tuesday, and some spots on the Eastern Plains got up to 5 inches of rain, more than the monthly average for April. But the statewide snowpack stood at only 76 percent of the 30-year average Wednesday, the same as a year ago. The total rose slightly from 73 percent from Monday. The South Platte and Arkansas river basins in eastern Colorado were at or slightly above 100 percent of average, but basins in western Colorado ranged from 57 percent to 82 percent. Colorado's mountain snowmelt provides much of the state's water and water for six other Western states... "But the snowpack levels fell from early February to April. The culprit was drier-and warmer-than-normal weather in March. 'We saw a pretty significant decrease in snowpack in March,' said Mike Gillespie of the federal Natural Resource Conservation Service in Denver. Early runoff means the water may be gone by the time farmers need it later in the year. It also could bring rivers to their peak before rafters are ready to book their trips. The snow doesn't typically finish melting in the southwestern mountains until the first of July and mid-July in the northwestern mountains. Gillespie said the snow could be gone as early as the first of June in both areas this year." Aspen Times: "Colorado snowpack figures as of April 25, with percentages of the 30-year average: Statewide - 76 percent; Gunnison Basin - 68 percent; Upper Rio Grande Basin - 83 percent; San Miguel/Dolores/Animas/San Juan Basin - 66 percent; Arkansas Basin - 101 percent; Colorado Basin - 82 percent; North Platte Basin - 76 percent; South Platte Basin - 110 percent; Yampa-White River Basin - 57 percent." Category: Colorado Water 5:49:13 AM     Federal water grab on the Gunnison? From the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, "Attorney General John Suthers has withdrawn the state's objections to stipulations created to resolve the dispute over the quantification of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park water right, Rep. Bernie Buescher, D-Grand Junction, said Wednesday. The park has a federal reserve water right senior to the Blue Mesa Reservoir and other upstream water users on the Gunnison River. Some Western Slope legislators, including Rep. Kathleen Curry, D-Gunnison, are worried that the park's water right could curtail water use in the Upper Gunnison River Basin." Category: Colorado Water 5:40:19 AM     South Platte 'running free' The Central Colorado Water Conservancy District was busy yesterday hoping to store the extra water running down the South Platte River after Tuesday's storm, according to the Greeley Tribune (free registration required). From the article, "Rob Sakata of Sakata Farms in Brighton, one of the state's largest vegetable producers with operations in Adams and Weld counties, said water was backing into some of his fields along the river between Brighton and Fort Lupton. 'We just wish we had someplace to put all this water,' he said. That farming operation has been among those that have seen irrigation wells shut down the past two years because of a lack of water. Randy Ray, operations manager with the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District which administers those wells, said the South Platte was running free by mid-morning Wednesday, meaning there were no senior water right holders calling for water. That allowed the district to take water from the river and put it in storage for its recharge program. 'We've got people from Orchard to Windsor and down to Firestone filling everything we've got,' Ray said. He said most of the major reservoirs downstream on the river from Greeley were full or near capacity, which should help Central's position... "Waterflow of the South Platte River is normally 300 to 400 cubic feet per second. Following are some of the measurements taken Wednesday along the river: Henderson: 8,000 cfs; Fort Lupton: 6,000 cfs; Kersey: 3,560 cfs." Meanwhile out in Washington D.C. the U.S. Senate is debating the funding for the Platte River Recovery Program and Pathfinder Modification Authorization Act of 2007, also known as S. 752, according to the North Platte Bulletin. From the article, "A U.S. Senate committee is considering the money and the authority it will take to implement a three-state Platte River plan to benefit wildlife. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power heard testimony April 25 on the Platte River Recovery Program and Pathfinder Modification Authorization Act of 2007, also known as S. 752 -- another deliberate step in a process that began in 1997. 'We are pushing the Senate to act on it as soon as possible,' said Sen. Ben Nelson. 'Today's hearing...is an important first step and I'm pleased the committee leadership is giving the bill the attention it deserves.' S. 752 would authorize the Secretary of Interior to proceed, and it includes $157 million to carry out the plan. That cost would be shared 50/50 by the states and federal government. Through the program, the states would provide benefits for endangered and threatened wildlife species as well as scientific monitoring to evaluate the benefits. Sen. Chuck Hagel said the plan would not only improve wildlife habitat, but would protect both existing and future water users along the Platte." More Coyote Gulch coverage of the Platte River Recovery program here. Category: Colorado Water 5:33:52 AM

© Copyright 2007 John Orr. Last update: 5/1/07; 9:47:23 AM.