March precipitation brought above-normal snowpack to all of the state's river basins, leaving less than 30% of Colorado under any level of drought conditions, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report released April 4. The National Weather Service three-month outlook "leans" toward above-average temperatures for Colorado and the Arkansas River Basin through June and projects "equal chances" of normal precipitation for all but the northeastern corner of the state, which could see above-normal precipitation. Snowpack
The latest data available from the Natural Resources Conservation Service shows snowpack in the Arkansas Basin at 117% of median (reported as snow-water equivalent). Snowpack Telemetry (SNOTEL) stations around the Arkansas Basin report snowpack ranging from 93% of median at South Colony to 391% at Medano Pass. (Both stations are in the Sangre de Cristo Range.) Additional SNOTEL readings are:
Reservoir Storage The Bureau of Reclamation website indicates Pueblo Reservoir is 78.5 % full with 253,644 acre-feet of water in storage, slightly less than was reported at the end of February. At 63.2% full, Turquoise Lake currently stores 81,821.6 acre-feet of water compared to 78,306 acre-feet a month ago. Twin Lakes, 72.5% full, currently impounds 97,509.5 acre-feet of water, down from 102,200 acre-feet at the beginning of March. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports water storage in John Martin Reservoir at 61,396 acre-feet, up from 52,454 acre-feet a month ago. River Flows From April 1 to May 15, the Voluntary Flow Management Program sets a target of 250-450 cfs for Arkansas River flows at the Wellsville gauge, which currently reports 262 cfs. The Leadville gauge currently reports "No data for last 7 days." The gauge below Granite reads 151 cfs. River flow at Cañon City is currently 305 cfs. With the start of irrigation season, river flow below Pueblo Reservoir has jumped from 86 cfs last month to a current reading of 537 cfs, and the flow at near Avondale almost tripled, from 349 cfs to 1030 cfs. The gauge near Rocky Ford reads 303 cfs, below John Martin Reservoir, 120 cfs. The flow near Lamar is 9.69 cfs. Calling Water Rights Seven water rights are calling for water in the Arkansas Basin, along with two authorized diversions. The most senior calling right is the Chilili Ditch with an 1862 priority date on the Purgatoire River. The 1866 Gonzales Ditch right on the Apishipa River is next in priority, followed by the 1867 Garcia Ditch No. 2 on the Huerfano River. Other calling rights are:
Sixty-seven percent of Colorado is free from drought conditions, including almost the entire Arkansas River Basin, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report released March 7. After a dry start to winter, snowpack has increased across the state with the Ark Basin currently at 89% of median. The National Weather Service three-month outlook projects "equal chances" of normal temperatures and precipitation through May for the entire state. Snowpack
The Natural Resources Conservation Service's Snowpack Telemetry (SNOTEL) stations around the Arkansas Basin report snowpack ranging from 55% of median at Medano Pass in the Sangre de Cristo Range to 159% at Glen Cove near Pikes Peak. Additional SNOTEL readings (reported as snow-water equivalent) are:
Winter Water Storage Program The Winter Water Storage Program (WWSP) ends March 14 every year, so releases of winter water will begin soon. The program was created during the early planning stages of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project to store water that would otherwise be diverted by irrigators downstream from Pueblo Reservoir during the winter months. Participants in the program primarily store their WWSP water in Pueblo Reservoir but also use Henry, Meredith, Holbrook, Dye, Adobe, Horse Creek, Great Plains and John Martin reservoirs. Reservoir Storage Data provided by the Bureau of Reclamation indicates Pueblo Reservoir, at 78.7 % full, currently stores 254,290 acre-feet of water compared to 217,442 acre-feet at he end of February 2023. At 60.5% full, Turquoise Lake currently impounds 78,306 acre-feet of water compared to 63,949.2 acre-feet a year ago. Twin Lakes, 72.5% full, holds 102,200 acre-feet of water compared to 100,473 acre-feet acre-feet at this time last year. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports water storage in John Martin Reservoir at 52,454 acre-feet, slightly less than the 35,423 acre-feet recorded a year ago. River Flows As is typical for late winter, Arkansas River flows are relatively low right now, and gauges near the headwaters are providing intermittent readings. The Leadville gauge currently reports 16.7 cfs. The gauge below Granite currently reads 38 cfs. River flow at Wellsville is 264 cfs, within the target range for the Voluntary Flow Management Program. The Cañon City gauge reads 322 cfs. The flow below Pueblo Reservoir, 86 cfs, will begin to increase as the WWSP comes to an end for this season. The gauge near Avondale currently reads 349 cfs, while the gauge near Rocky Ford reads 254 cfs. River flow below John Martin Reservoir is currently 0.77 cfs, and the flow near Lamar is at 12 cfs. Calling Water Rights Only seven water rights are currently calling for water in the Arkansas Basin, along with two authorized diversions. The most senior calling right is the Baca Irrigating Ditch with an 1861 priority date on the Purgatoire River. The 1864 Francisco-Daigre Mill right on the Cuchara River is next in priority, followed by the 1867 Garcia Ditch No. 2 on the Huerfano River and the 1868 Widderfield Combined right on the Apishapa River. The Reece Ditch, with an 1869 priority date, is calling for water on Hardscrabble Creek, and the 1910 Fort Lyon Storage Canal has a call on the Arkansas River mainstem. As always there is a 1949-priority call on the mainstem at the Kansas state line under the Arkansas River Compact. The two authorized diversions are Bison Park Reservoir (1911 priority date, East Fork of West Beaver Creek) and the New Salida Ditch (1912, Arkansas River). Abnormally dry conditions returned to southern and eastern parts of the Arkansas River basin in November, with the San Luis Valley experiencing severe drought, according to the Nov. 30 U.S. Drought Monitor report. By Dec. 3, snowpack had increased across the state. The National Weather Service three-month outlook projects "near normal" temperatures through February in the Ark Basin and "leaning above" normal precipitation for Colorado as a whole. Snowpack
In spite of recent snowfall in the upper basin, early season snowpack is trending below average with NRCS Snowpack Telemetry (SNOTEL) data showing basin-wide snowpack at 78% of median for snow-water equivalent (SWE). The highest reading is currently north of Pikes Peak at Glen Cove, where the SNOTEL station shows SWE at 220% of median. Additional snowpack readings are:
Winter Water Storage Program The Winter Water Storage Program (WWSP) in the Arkansas River Basin runs from Nov. 15 to March 14 every year. The program was devised during the early planning stages of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project and stores water that would otherwise be diverted by irrigators downstream from Pueblo Reservoir during the winter months. This stored water is then released during the following irrigation season. The WWSP has been refined to arrive at "an equitable means of apportioning the stored water among the WWSP participants and avoiding injury to non-participants." Negotiations ultimately produced a consensus among participants and objectors, producing an initial decree approved by Water Court Judge Tracey in 1987. In 1990, Tracey entered an order making the decree final. The participants in the WWSP primarily store their WWSP water in Pueblo Reservoir but also use Henry, Meredith, Holbrook, Dye, Adobe, Horse Creek, Great Plains and John Martin reservoirs. When space is limited, priority for storage of WWSP water in Pueblo Reservoir goes to entities that don't have access to off-channel reservoir storage. When active, the WWSP affects reservoir storage, river flows and calling water rights in the Arkansas Basin. Reservoir Storage Pueblo Reservoir, at 68.9% full, currently stores 222,617 acre-feet of water, above the 184,866 acre-feet recorded in storage at the end of November 2022. At 63.2% full, Turquoise Lake currently holds 81,795 acre-feet, compared to 84,452.2 acre-feet a year ago. Twin Lakes, 85.6% full, impounds 120,656 acre-feet of water, compared to 114,014 acre-feet a year ago. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports water storage in John Martin Reservoir at 28,800 acre-feet, almost double the 15,921 acre-feet recorded at this time last year. River Flows With Fyingpan Arkansas Project water releases currently suspended and the WWSP in effect, Arkansas River flows have generally decreased in the Arkansas Basin. The Leadville gauge reports 97.6 cfs, and the gauge at Granite currently reads 84 cfs. River flow at Wellsville is 342 cfs, on target for the Voluntary Flow Management Program. The Cañon City gauge reads 375 cfs. The flow below Pueblo Reservoir, 75.1 cfs, reflects the WWSP. The gauge near Avondale currently reads 306 cfs, while the flow at Rocky Ford has dropped to 25 cfs. River flow below John Martin Reservoir has dropped to 0.6 cfs, and the flow near Lamar is at 27.6 cfs. Calling Water Rights Only seven water rights are currently calling for water in the Arkansas Basin, but seven authorized diversions are also calling for water under Division of Water Resources Division 2's interim water rights administration plan. The most senior calling right is the Model Ditch right with an 1862 priority date on the Purgatoire River. The 1864 Francisco-Daigre Mill right on the Cuchara River is next in priority, followed by the 1867 Baxter Pioneer and Coleman Ditch rights on the Huerfano River and Hardscrabble Creek, respectively. The 1868 Widderfield Combined right, the 1910 Fort Lyon Storage Canal and the Arkansas River Compact round out the list. Authorized diversions include:
While more than 60% of Colorado and almost all of the Arkansas River Basin remains drought-free, most of the West Slope is experiencing some level of drought, with severe drought returning to parts of the Rio Grande and Colorado basins, according to the latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor. The National Weather Service three-month outlook projects "equal chances" for normal temperatures through December in most of the Colorado and equal chances of normal precipitation for the entire state. Precipitation
The CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow) Network reports the following precipitation amounts, in inches, for the month of September in the Arkansas River Basin in Colorado:
Reservoir Storage The Bureau of Reclamation reports that Pueblo Reservoir water levels dropped from 222,043 acre-feet at the end of August to 216,512 acre-feet (67% full) at the end of September. Reservoir data for Turquoise Lake and Twin Lakes Reservoir is not currently available. The water level in John Martin Reservoir has dropped from 29,377 acre-feet at the end of august to a current level of 21,997 acre-feet. River Flows The Arkansas River flow near Leadville changed very little during the month of September, showing a slight decrease from 21.9 cfs to 20.2 cfs. Downstream, the gauge below Granite reads 144 cfs, and the Wellsville gauge near Salida currently reports 292 cfs. The flow at Cañon City is currently 250 cfs. Over the past week, releases from Pueblo Reservoir have increased flows below the dam from 53 to 188 cfs. The gauge near Avondale reports a flow of 395 cfs, and the gauge at Rocky Ford reads 191 cfs. The current reading below John Martin Reservoir is 191 cfs, and the flow at Lamar has dropped to 16.3 cfs. Calling Water Rights Under interim Division 2 (Arkansas Basin) water administration policies, water-rights holders whose priority could be affected by proposed changes are listed as "authorized diversions" instead of "calls." Under this interim water-rights administration policy, the Arkansas Basin currently has 16 calling water rights and eight authorized diversions. Hardscrabble Ditch, with its 1860 Hardscrabble Creek water right, remains the senior calling in the Basin, followed by the 1864 Model Ditch right on the Purgatoire River and the 1865 Cañon Heights Ditch right on Fourmile Creek. 1866 water rights calling for water are the Dan Mahan Ditch on the Huerfano River, the Walsenburg Ditch on the Cucharas River, and the Gonzales Ditch on the Apishapa River. Additional calling water rights are:
The eight authorized diversions now in priority are:
Drought conditions have slipped back into southwestern Colorado, with abnormally dry conditions extending into the Upper Arkansas River Basin, and the National Weather Service three-month outlook projects above-normal temperatures through November and equal chances of normal precipitation for Colorado. Precipitation
The CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow) Network reports the following precipitation amounts, in inches, for the month of July in the Arkansas River Basin in Colorado:
Reservoir Storage The Bureau of Reclamation reports that Pueblo Reservoir water levels dropped from 228,345 acre-feet at the end of July to 222,043 acre-feet (68.8% full) at the end of August. The Turquoise Lake water level dropped from 114,100 acre-feet to 94,100.5 acre-feet (72.7% full) in August. Twin Lakes Reservoir levels decreased in August, from 129,492 to 117,611acre-feet (83.4% full). The water level in John Martin Reservoir has dropped from 85,623 acre-feet at the end of July to a current level of 29,377 acre-feet. River Flows Over the past month, the Arkansas River flow near Leadville has dropped from 86.4 cfs to 21.9 cfs. Downstream, the gauge below Granite reads 376 cfs, and the Wellsville gauge near Salida currently reports 548 cfs. The flow at Cañon City is currently 565 cfs, and the flow Pueblo Reservoir is currently 244 cfs. The gauge near Avondale reports a flow of 372 cfs, and the gauge at Rocky Ford reads 379 cfs. The current reading below John Martin Reservoir is 519 cfs, and the flow at Lamar has dropped to 25.4 cfs. Calling Water Rights As mentioned in the River Report for July, Division 2 (Arkansas Basin) Engineer Rachel Zancanella reaching out to water stakeholders across the basin in an effort to determine how best to address a change in water rights administration requested by the Colorado Attorney General's Office. In the meantime, water-rights holders who could surrender priority under the potential change will be listed as "authorized diversions" instead of "calls." Under this interim water-rights administration policy, the Arkansas Basin currently has 16 calling water rights and nine authorized diversions. The most senior calling right is the 1860 Hardscrabble Ditch on the Hardscrabble Creek, followed by the 1863 John W. Brown Ditch right on Huerfano River and the 1865 Cañon Heights Ditch right Fourmile Creek. Four 1866 water rights are also calling for water: the Walsenburg Ditch on the Cucharas River, the Hayden Supply Ditch on Greenhorn Creek, the Model Ditch on the Purgatoire River, and the Gonzales Ditch on the Apishapa River. The Cottonwood and Maxwell Ditch is calling for Cottonwood Creek water under its 1874 right, and the DeWeese Dye Ditch is calling for Grape Creek water under its 1877 right. The water rights next in seniority are the 1880 Waggoner Ditch on Stout Creek, the 1881 Briscoe Ditch (Tenassee Ditch) on the South Arkansas River, the 1881 Dotson Ditch No. 1 on the Saint Charles River, and the 1884 Fort Lyon Canal on the Arkansas River mainstem. Rounding out the current active calls are the 1887 Hyde Ditch, the 1889 X-Y Irrigating Ditch, and the 1949 Arkansas River Compact, all on the Arkansas River mainstem. The nine authorized diversions now in priority are:
After ending June drought-free, Colorado has seen drought conditions creep back into the southwestern quarter of the state, according to the current U.S. Drought Monitor report. The National Weather Service three-month outlook projects above-normal temperatures through October and below-normal precipitation for the western half of Colorado. Precipitation
The CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow) Network reports the following precipitation amounts, in inches, for the month of July in the Arkansas River Basin in Colorado:
Reservoir Storage The Bureau of Reclamation reports that Pueblo Reservoir water increased from 223,029 acre-feet at the end of July to a current level of 228,345 acre-feet (70.7% full). The Turquoise Lake water level dropped from 124,330 acre-feet to 114,100 acre-feet (88.2% full) in July as snowmelt and West Slope water imports tapered off and water was moved downstream in part to support of recreational boating. Twin Lakes Reservoir levels increased in July, from 125,069 to 129, 492 acre-feet (91.8% full). The water level in John Martin Reservoir is up slightly from a month ago at 85,623 acre-feet. River Flows Over the past month, the Arkansas River flow near Leadville has dropped from 121 to 86.4 cfs. Downstream, the gauge below Granite reads 835 cfs thanks to Bureau of Reclamation reservoir releases. The Wellsville gauge near Salida currently reports 1,020 cfs, well above the Voluntary Flow Program target of 750 cfs. The flow at Cañon City is currently 1,170 cfs. Below Pueblo Reservoir, flows are 598 cfs. Near Avondale the river is flowing at 1,040 cfs, and the gauge at Rocky Ford reads 552 cfs. The current reading below John Martin Reservoir is 1,180 cfs, and the Lamar gauge reads 722 cfs. Calling Water Rights Water-rights administration recently got more complicated because the Colorado Attorney General's Office is insisting that Ark Basin rights be brought in line with state policy. Division 2 Engineer Rachel Zancanella is engaging water stakeholders across the basin in a conversation about how best to address this issue because it will affect water-rights priorities in the basin. Zancanella said she wants to discuss the ramifications of the change for the next year so that all stakeholders can have the opportunity to weigh in. In the meantime, water-rights holders who could surrender priority will be listed as "authorized diversions" instead of "calls." Under the new water-rights administration, the Arkansas Basin currently has 13 calling water rights and nine authorized diversions. The most senior calling right is the 1865 Hoehne Ditch on the Purgatoire River, followed by the 1866 Dan Mahan Ditch right on Huerfano River. Another 1866 water right is next in priority, the Gonzales Ditch on the Apishapa River. The 1867 Coleman Ditch right is calling for Hardscrabble Creek water, followed by the 1872 Drury Ditch on Hay Creek. The Waggoner Ditch is calling for Stout Creek water under its 1880 water right, followed by the 1881 Dotson Ditch No. 1 right on the Saint Charles River. Next up, the 1882 Hoosier Ditch right is calling for water from the North Fork of the South Arkansas River, followed by the 1882 Missouri Park Ditch right on the South Arkansas River. On the Arkansas River mainstem, the Amity Canal and the Fort Lyon Canal are calling for water under 1887 water rights. The nine authorized diversions now in priority date to1887 with the Bessemer Ditch right. Remaining authorized diversions are:
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