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Colorado and the Arkansas River Basin saw the first snowfall of the season in October. Drought severity generally lessened across the state and did not change significantly in the Ark Basin, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report.  Twin Lakes Reservoir in the Upper Arkansas Valley. Precipitation The CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow) Network reports the following precipitation amounts for the month of October:
Snowpack Early season snowpack is trending above average for the Arkansas Basin with the latest NRCS Snowpack Telemetry (SNOTEL) report showing basin-wide snowpack at 155% of median for snow-water equivalent (SWE). The highest reading is currently at Hayden Pass, where the SNOTEL station shows the SWE at 2.5 inches.  Reservoir Storage Water storage in Pueblo Reservoir trended slightly lower in October, from 178,299 acre-feet to 177, 342 acre-feet, leaving the Fry-Ark Project storage vessel 54.9% full. Water storage in Turquoise Lake also saw a slight drop to 85,368.5 acre-feet or 66.6% full, while the water level in Twin Lakes edged up to 120,899 acre-feet, bringing the reservoir to 85.7% full. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the water level in John Martin Reservoir dropped to 11,442 acre-feet. River Flows October saw Arkansas River flows decrease in the upper basin and lower basin with increased flows in between – Cañon City to Avondale. The flow near Leadville dropped to 24.3 cfs, the gauge at Granite currently reads 111 cfs, and the flow at Wellsville is 408 cfs. Flows at Cañon City and below Pueblo Reservoir are up from the end of September at 375 cfs and 211 cfs, respectively. The river flow near Avondale has also increased, to 437 cfs, while the flow at Rocky Ford dropped to 148 cfs. Flows have dropped to 11.8 cfs below John Martin Reservoir and 10.1 cfs near Lamar. Calling Water Rights The number of calling water rights in the Arkansas Basin has dropped to 15 (from 20 at the end of September). The most senior calling right is the Cañon Heights Ditch right with an 1863 priority date on Fourmile Creek. Next in priority are the Model Ditch on the Purgatoire River and the Francisco Daigre Mill right on the Cucharas River, both with 1864 priority dates. Next in seniority is the Hayden Supply Ditch on Greenhorn Creek with an 1865 priority date. Three 1866 rights are calling for water – the Walsenburg Ditch on the Cucharas River, the Bannister Ditch on Fountain Creek and the Gonzales Ditch on the Apishapa River. Next in seniority are the Coleman Ditch on Hardscrabble Creek (1867), the Fernandez Ditch on Turkey Creek (1868) and the Upper Huerfano No. 2 right on the Huerfano River (1869). Additional calls include:
Arkansas River Basin drought conditions continue to improve, with the U.S. Drought Monitor showing moderate drought in small portions of the lower basin and drought-free to "abnormally dry" conditions across the rest of the basin.  Precipitation
The CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow) Network reports the following precipitation amounts for the past week:
Reservoir Storage Water storage in Pueblo Reservoir remains the same as it was a week ago – 178,299 acre-feet and 55.2% full. Water storage in Turquoise Lake and Twin Lakes dropped by 0.1% 66.5% and 84.4% full, respectively – 86,039.2 acre-feet in Turquiose and 118,969 acre-feet in Twin. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the water level in John Martin Reservoir dropped to 12,373 acre-feet. River Flows Most of the gauges that track Arkansas River flows are reporting decreased flows compared to a week ago. The flow near Leadville steadily decreased this week to 28.2 cfs. Below Granite the river flow dropped to 180 cfs. The Wellsville gauge reports 353 cfs, down from 432 cfs a week ago. The flow at Cañon City increased into the weekend, peaking at 439 cfs before dropping to the current reading of 322 cfs. The gauge below Pueblo Reservoir currently registers 131 cfs, while the gauge near Avondale reports 233 cfs. At Rocky Ford the river is flowing at 102 cfs. Flows are 56.4 cfs below John Martin Reservoir and 34.7 cfs near Lamar. Calling Water Rights The number of calling water rights in the Arkansas Basin remains at 20, the same number as last week, with the six most senior calling rights unchanged:
The Fernandez Ditch (1868) has a call for water on Turkey Creek, as does the Gomez Ditch (1868) on the Cucharas River. Next in seniority are the Jose Maria Ditch (1873) on Huerfano River and the Cottonwood and Maxwell Ditch (1874) on Cottonwood Creek. Additional calls the Risser and Locke Ditch (1875) on Grape Creek, and the Lamar Canal (1875) on the Arkansas River mainstem. Rounding out the list are:
The U.S. Drought Monitor shows drought conditions across Colorado and the Arkansas River Basin almost identical to a week ago, with most of the Ark Basin drought-free or abnormally dry. The Drought Monitor report does not reflect precipitation from the most recent weather system that brought rain to the entire basin. Twin Lakes Reservoir. Precipitation
The CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow) Network reports the following precipitation amounts for the past week:
Reservoir Storage The past week saw water storage in Pueblo Reservoir decrease slightly to 178,299 acre-feet – 55.2% full. Water storage in Turquoise Lake decreased to 86,200.7 acre-feet or 66.6% full, while the water level in Twin Lakes increased to 119,112 acre-feet, bringing the reservoir to 84.5% full. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the water level in John Martin Reservoir saw a slight drop to 13,054 acre-feet. River Flows Arkansas River flows increased over the past week except for in the lower basin. The flow near Leadville increased to 41.8 cfs, and the gauge below Granite increased from 187 cfs a week ago to 240 cfs. The Wellsville gauge showed a gradual decline in river flow until the rains arrived Wednesday, bringing the flow up to 432 cfs. The flow at Cañon City is currently 357 cfs, and below Pueblo Reservoir, 82.3 cfs. The gauge near Avondale reports 210 cfs, while the flow at Rocky Ford dropped to 88 cfs. Flows are 41.7 cfs below John Martin Reservoir and only 11.6 cfs near Lamar. Calling Water Rights The number of calling water rights in the Arkansas Basin now stands at 20. The Hardscrabble Ditch, with its 1860 priority date on Hardscrabble Creek, remains the most senior calling right, followed by the Titsworth Ditch on Fourmile Creek, the Hayden Supply Ditch on Greenhorn Creek, the Hoenhe Ditch on the Purgatoire River, all with 1865 priority dates. The Bannister Ditch on Fountain Creek and the Gonzales Ditch on the Apishapa River are next in seniority with 1866 priority dates. The Garcia Ditch No. 2 (1867) is also calling on the Apishapa River, and the Gomez Ditch (1868) is calling for water on the Cucharas River. Next in seniority is the Camblin Ditch on Hayden Creek and the Trout Creek Ditch on Cottonwood Creek, both with 1872 priority. Additional calls include the Hill Ditch (1873) on Howard Creek, the Risser and Locke Ditch (1875) on Grape Creek, and the Lamar Canal on the Arkansas River mainstem (1875). Rounding out the list are:
Drought conditions remain virtually unchanged from a week ago, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report. Most of the Arkansas River Basin is abnormally dry or drought-free with a few areas of moderate drought.  Precipitation
The CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow) Network reports the following precipitation amounts for the past week:
Reservoir Storage The past week saw water storage in Pueblo Reservoir continue its gradual decline. At 179,153 acre-feet, the reservoir is 55.5% full. Water storage in Turquoise Lake decreased to 86,400.9 acre-feet or 66.8% full while the water level in Twin Lakes increased to 118,921 acre-feet, bringing the reservoir to 84.3% full. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the water level in John Martin Reservoir has declined to 13,857 acre-feet. River Flows Arkansas River flows haven't changed significantly over the past week but are generally lower. The gauge near Leadville reads 34.9 cfs, and the gauge below Granite dropped from 211 to 187 cfs after the Bureau of Reclamation reduced the Twin Lakes outflow today. The flow at the Wellsville gauge is 353 cfs while the flow at Cañon City is currently 281 cfs. The flow below Pueblo Reservoir has dropped to 76.9 cfs, and the gauge near Avondale reports 188 cfs. The Rocky Ford gauge reports 131 cfs, and flows are 51.7 cfs and 47.5 cfs below John Martin Reservoir and near Lamar, respectively. Calling Water Rights The number of calling water rights in the Arkansas Basin remains at 19, but most of the rights in play have changed since last week. The most senior right with a call is the Hardscrabble Ditch with an 1860 priority date on Hardscrabble Creek. An 1865 Hayden Supply Ditch priority (on Greenhorn Creek) is next in seniority, followed by the Hoenhe Ditch (Purgatoire River) and the O'Brien Ditch (Fourmile Creek), which also have 1865 priority dates. Next in seniority are two water rights with 1866 priorities: the Baxter Pioneer Ditch on the Huerfano River and the Gonzales Ditch on the Apishapa River. The Gomez Ditch (1868) is calling for water on the Cucharas River, and the Talcott and Cotton Ditch (1872) is calling on Fountain Creek. The Camblin Ditch and the Cottonwood Irrigating Ditch, also with 1872 priority dates are calling for water on Hayden Creek and Cottonwood Creek, respectively. The Hill Ditch (1873) is calling for water on Howard Creek, and the Lamar Canal (1875) is the most senior calling water right on the Arkansas River mainstem. Next in seniority are the Seth Brown Ditch (1876) on Stout Creek, the Dotson Ditch No. 1 (1881) on the St. Charles River, the North Fork Ditch (1882) on the South Arkansas River, and the Fort Lyon Canal (1884) on the mainstem. Rounding out this week's calling water rights are the 1885 Buffalo Canal right, the 1889 X-Y Irrigating Ditch right and the 1949 Arkansas River Compact call at the Kansas state line, all on the mainstem. Colorado and the Arkansas River Basin continue to see improvements in drought conditions with almost 16% of the state no longer experiencing drought, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report. The report shows most of the basin as abnormally dry or drought-free with moderate drought in some areas.  Precipitation
The CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow) Network reports the following precipitation amounts for the past week in the Arkansas Basin:
Reservoir Storage The past week saw water storage in Pueblo Reservoir decrease by almost 3,000 acre-feet to 179,688 acre-feet, putting the reservoir at 55.6% full. Water storage in Turquoise Lake decreased to 87,593.8 acre-feet or 67.7% full. The water level in Twin Lakes increased to 118,229 acre-feet, bringing the reservoir to 83.9% full. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports 14,361 acre-feet of water currently stored in John Martin Reservoir. River Flows Arkansas River flows continue to diminish, with the gauge near Leadville reporting 29.6 cfs, while the gauge below Granite currently registers 197 cfs. The flow at the Wellsville gauge is 386 cfs, and the flow at Cañon City is currently 318 cfs. The river flow below Pueblo Reservoir is 104 cfs, and the gauge near Avondale reports 214 cfs. The gauge near Rocky Ford reports 96.7 cfs, flows are 51.7 cfs below John Martin Reservoir, and the gauge at Lamar currently reports 52.5 cfs. Calling Water Rights Calling water rights in the basin jumped to 19 this week with six calls on the mainstem: the Lamar Canal (1875 priority), Bessemer Ditch (1882), the Fort Lyon Canal (1884 priority), the Buffalo Canal (1885), the X-Y Irrigating Ditch (1889) and the Arkansas River Compact call at the Kansas state line. The most senior calling water right in the basin is currently the Talcott and Cotton Ditch with an 1864 priority date on Fountain Creek at its confluence with the Arkansas River. Next most senior are the Titsworth Ditch on Fourmile Creek, the Hayden Supply Ditch on Greenhorn Creek and the Hoehne Ditch on the Purgatoire River, all of which have 1865 priority dates. With 1866 priority dates, the Baxter Pioneer Ditch is calling for water on the Huerfano River, and the Gonzales Ditch has a call on the Apishapa River. The Coleman Ditch (1867) has a call for water on Hardscrabble Creek, and the Gomez Ditch (1868) has a call on the Cucharas River. Additional calling water rights include the MuelBach Pleasant Valley diversion (1873) on Hayden Creek, the Hill Ditch (1873) on Howard Creek, the Supply Ditch (1874) on Cottonwood Creeek, the Seth Brown Ditch (1876) on Stout Creek and the Dotson Ditch No. 1 (1881) on the St. Charles River.. Colorado and the Arkansas River Basin saw slight improvements in drought conditions this week with more than 13% of the state no longer experiencing any level of drought, according to today's U.S. Drought Monitor report. The report shows no drought in most of the basin's headwaters areas, abnormally dry conditions in most of lower basin with a few patches of moderate.  Precipitation
The CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow) Network reports the following precipitation amounts for the past week:
Reservoir Storage The past week saw water storage in Pueblo Reservoir drop from 184,178 acre-feet to 182,230 acre-feet, putting the reservoir at 56.4% full . Water storage in Turquoise Lake decreased to 93,454.8 acre-feet or 72.2% full. The water level in Twin Lakes increased to 112,341 acre-feet, bringing the reservoir to 79.7% of full. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports 15,003 acre-feet of water currently stored in John Martin Reservoir, which has a capacity of 348,599 acre-feet. River Flows Arkansas River flows near Leadville dropped to 40 cfs this week, while the gauge below Granite currently registers 218 cfs. The flow at the Wellsville gauge is 420 cfs while the flow at Cañon City is currently 348 cfs. The river flow below Pueblo Reservoir is at 258 cfs, the same as a week ago, and the gauge near Avondale reports 396 cfs. The gauge near Rocky Ford reports 173 cfs after after dropping as low as 66.4 cfs the night of Aug. 25. Flows are 71.9 cfs below John Martin Reservoir, and the gauge at Lamar currently reports 53.5 cfs. River Calls The Arkansas Basin currently has 14 calling water rights, including the same four mainstem rights as last week: the Catlin Canal (1884 priority), the Lamar Canal (1886), the X-Y Irrigating Ditch (1889) and the Arkansas River Compact call at the Kansas state line. The most senior calling water right is the Hayden Supply Ditch (1864) on Greenhorn Creek. Next in seniority are the Hamlet Ditch on the Huerfano River, the Bannister Sump Well at the confluence of Fountain Creek and the Arkansas River, and the Gonzales Ditch on the Apishapa River. All three diversions have 1866 priority dates. Additional calling water rights include the Coleman Ditch (1867) on Hardscrabble Creek, the Pulaski Ditch (1868) on the Purgatoire River, the Kittredge Ditch No. 2 (1870) on West Fourmile Creek, and the Hill Ditch (1873) on Howard Creek. Rounding out the active calls for this week are the Watson Ditch No. 2 (1874) on Fourmile Creek and the Marmaduke Ditch (1878) on Stout Creek. |
