From The Mountain Mail (Joe Stone):
While recent weather patterns have helped improve Colorado snowpack levels and streamflow forecasts, the entire state continues to experience some level of drought, and reservoir levels remain low. Information presented at the May 16 Governor’s Water Availability Task Force meeting shows improvement in northern Colorado.
However, most of the state continues to experience severe drought conditions, and “the southern part of the state has seen conditions deteriorate over the last month.”
Mage Hultstrand, assistant snow survey supervisor with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, reported Arkansas River Basin reservoir levels are the lowest in the state: 52 percent of average and 17 percent of capacity. In neighboring basins, Hultstrand reported reservoir levels of 54 percent of average in the Rio Grande Basin and 88 percent of average in the Gunnison Basin. Statewide reservoir storage is at 74 percent of average, she said, compared to 112 percent of average in May 2012.
Hultstrand said snowpack peaked in the Arkansas Basin at 73 percent of average while the Rio Grande Basin peaked at 68 percent and the Gunnison Basin at 76 percent. Hultstrand reported NRCS streamflow projections of 68 percent of average for the Arkansas River at Salida with lower percentages for other parts of the basin:
60 percent for the Arkansas River at Pueblo Reservoir inflow. 40 percent for the Huerfano River near Redwing. 33 percent for the Cucharas River near La Veta. 30 percent for Purgatoire River at Trinidad Lake inflow. Streamflow forecasts indicate below-average spring streamflows across the state with the lowest forecasts in the Rio Grande Basin, ranging from 24 to 54 percent of normal, Hultstrand said.
Given below-average reservoir storage and low streamflow forecasts, a report from the State Engineer’s Office reported negative Surface Water Supply Index values across the state.
Additionally, Gov. John Hickenlooper activated the Municipal Impact Task Force in May in response to dry conditions and below-average reservoir storage.
Click here for the Colorado Reservoir Storage Graph for end of April 2013 from the Natural Resources Conservation Service.