Here’s the release from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (Mage Hultstrand):
According to the latest snowpack measurements conducted by the USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the statewide snowpack is melting rapidly thanks to recent warm temperatures. The southern river basins, the Upper Rio Grande, and the combined San Juan, Animas, Dolores & San Miguel, are very close to being snow free. The snowpack in the remaining basins is becoming surface runoff very quickly as well. But with large amounts of snow accumulated this winter in basins such as, the Colorado, the Yampa, the North Platte and the South Platte, 20 to 40 percent of the total snowpack remains in the higher elevations. If the current wet weather patterns persist into June, the chances for continued high water levels in the streams in these basins are quite good.
Reservoir storage in the state is currently at 95 percent of normal and 62 percent of capacity. Again the southern basins report the lowest storage totals statewide while the northern basins are reporting near to above normal totals. The northern basins will have every opportunity this spring and summer to add significantly to their reservoir storage…