CoCoRaHS: A look back at April 2013

The #CoCoRaHS #wx and #climate Blog: April Recap – Cold, Snowy, Wet, and Dry: cocorahs.blogspot.com/2013/05/april-…

— CoCoRaHS (@CoCoRaHS) May 17, 2013

Gov. Hickenlooper’s Comments at Signing of 2013 CWCB Project Bill

For the hunters and bird lovers: Peregrine taking a Duck

CWCB: Next Water Availability Task Force Meeting May 16

From email from the Colorado Water Conservation Board (Ben Wade):

The next Water Availability Task Force meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 16 from 9:30-11:30am & will be held at the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Headquarters, 6060 Broadway, Denver in the Bighorn Room.

The agenda has been posted at the CWCB website.

More CWCB coverage here.

Forecast news: Storm on the way Tuesday into Wednesday #COdrought #COwx

Denver has another chance for snow Wednesday after high of 83 Monday dpo.st/11OzhHe

— Denver Post Breaking (@DenverPostBrk) April 28, 2013

Snowpack/drought news: Denver Water sees a drop in consumption for early spring #COdrought

Click on the thumbnail graphics for the current US Drought Monitor, the current drought outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the current statewide snowpack map from the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

From The Denver Post (Joey Bunch):

On average, Denver Water’s customers use 120 million gallons in March. This year that figure dropped by 16 million gallons. For the first 17 days of April, customers used 40 million gallons less water — 105 million instead of the normal 145 million. That’s more than 21 percent less water used for the early spring period…

Denver’s weather-monitoring site at Denver International Airport has received 20.4 inches of snow in April, a month when it normally gets 9. Closer to the mountains, Wheat Ridge has collected 29.5 inches this month, according to the National Weather Service. In March, Denver received 23.5 inches of snow, helping boost the city’s total for the season to 75 inches, way above the average tally of 57.5, according to the weather service’s data.

From The Wet Mountain Tribune (Nora Drenner):

This week’s snow/water equivalent is 15 inches or 71 percent of average. The average for this time of year is typically 21.1 inches. The current Arkansas River basin-wide snow/water equivalent is 80 percent of average…

The precipitation measurement is yearly snow, rain, hail and sleet. This week’s year-to-date precipitation is 18.8 inches or 79 percent of average. The average for this time of year is 23.9 inches.

The basin-wide year-to-date precipitation is currently 72 percent of average for the Arkansas River Basin, while the snowpack stands at 79 percent of average.

Statewide, snowpack levels are at 90 percent of average, based on the following averages for the state’s eight river basins: Upper Rio Grande 70 percent; San Miguel/Dolores/Animas/San Juan, 71 percent; Arkansas 79 percent; Gunnison, 88 percent; South Platte 88 percent; White/Yampa 98 percent; North Platte 102 percent; and Colorado, 103 percent.

From The Fort Morgan Times (Bruce Bosley):

The South Platte communities from Kersey to Sterling have received from 2.66 to over 3.13 inches total precipitation this year so far. Greeley, Iliff, and Crook weather stations have recorded less total precipitation: 1.44″, 1.78″ and 2.32″ respectively.

These same storms have missed much of the high plains south and east of the South Platte Basin. In this area, Akron and Holyoke have received the most: 1.43″ and 1.38″ respectively. Farms south and east of there have missed many of these storms, getting just a fraction of the moisture during this same period. Yuma, Wray, Burlington, Stratton and Last Chance weather stations have received less than 0.8 of an inch this year.

Dryland winter wheat fields in the High Plains region and further south are struggling to survive. March and April precipitation has helped fields located in the South Platte basin to catch up to seasonal average soil moisture reserves after the lingering effects of the 2012 drought. The lack of precipitation for this same period south and east of the South Platte Basin has further resulted in droughty soils. The freeze injury on the wheat plants is only part of the challenges that fields in this area have to cope with.

Making matters worse for the high plains farmers is that, while wheat is their No. 1 crop, the continued drought may prevent them from planting corn, millet, sunflowers and other summer crops unless they get favorable rains later this month through early June.

Here’s an editorial about Aurora’s water customer reactions to the city’s drought mitigation efforts from The Aurora Sentinel. Here’s an excerpt:

Here’s the problem. For the past decade, as Aurora water and tap rates have climbed ahead, and far ahead, of other metro-area water rates, city officials have assured everyone that the much ballyhooed Prairie Water Project, which cost about $660 million, would “drought harden” the city’s water system, preventing water shortages during lean snow-pack years. The fear of going dry was instilled in city lawmakers after a sustained drought at the turn of the century, prompting a complex marvel that pumps South Platte water miles downstream of Aurora back up to the city.

Here’s the public-relations problems Aurora has painted itself into:

Each time city council members approved water rate hikes, they lauded the Prairie Water project publicly for protecting the city during droughts. In 2010, water rates increased by 7.5 percent over 2009, in 2009 they increased by 8 percent, and in 2008, 2007, and 2006 there was a 12-percent increase. In 2003 and 2004 water rates increased by 15 percent over the previous years to pay for the Prairie Waters project.

It was a lot of rate hikes, and a lot of bragging. Last year, the city controversially agreed to sell water to Andarko for fracking, sell water for bottling, lease water to other cities, and kept bragging about how lucky city residents are for having invested in the Prairie Waters Project.

City residents are feeling so lucky right now as they look at big water bills and big water restrictions, the same restrictions other metro-area cities must endure without the financial burden of the magnificent Prairie Waters Project…

But for most residents, the perception is that Prairie Waters did nothing to “drought harden” the water system, but it did plenty to hike their water bills. They have nothing else to conclude since they’re under the same watering restrictions as their municipal neighbors paying much less for their restricted water…

The reality is, Aurora’s water system and problems are hugely complicated. Even though the city is netting more potentially potable water, it needs more local storage. And the reality is, we don’t have more storage, we can’t afford to build more storage, and the city’s available water situation isn’t as dire as Aurora officials are making it out to be.

From The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel (Dennis Webb):

A Bureau of Land Management official says recent precipitation has boosted the prospects for reseeding efforts taking hold in the area of the Pine Ridge Fire, and he is hoping for more moisture. “This last storm that we got, where we got the snow here in the valley, was very timely because it was starting to dry out,” said Jim Dollerschell, a rangeland management specialist for the BLM in Grand Junction.

Last summer’s Pine Ridge Fire burned some 14,000 acres near De Beque in the largest fire ever within the Grand Junction BLM office’s jurisdiction. Continuing dry weather last year limited seed germination of a temporary, quick-growing cover crop. The BLM this year did aerial seeding involving a variety of vegetation, mostly native, with an eye toward longer-term stabilization. Dollerschell said he visited the area a few weeks ago and some grass seedlings were sprouting. With the recent storms being followed by warmer temperatures, he’s expecting more growth now.

Seeing some germination has been promising. He’s hoping for rain to get through May and June, with the expectation that the vegetation then benefits from monsoon moisture in July and August. “June is a tough month, so dry and hot. If we can get plants up pretty good before that hits, they’ll stand a pretty good chance of surviving,” he said.

The susceptibility to erosion was demonstrated shortly after the fire occurred. A storm resulted in ash and debris reaching the Colorado River. The Clifton Water District shut down its river intake for more than a day. Part of the problem is that a lot of the burned area consisted of solid sagebrush or piñon-juniper forest, without much existing understory vegetation that could grow back after the fire, he said. He said that with the time it will take for the reseeding to take hold, “nothing’s really going to be too stable up there for another year or two.”

Snow totals for this week from the NWS Boulder office #COdrought #COwx

Observed 72 hour Snowfall Totals ending at 7am 4/24/2013. #COwx twitter.com/NWSBoulder/sta…

— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) April 24, 2013

Snowpack/drought news: Statewide snowpack = 90% of avg, Upper Colorado = 103% #CODrought

From 9News.com (Nick McGurk):

“Snow equates to water, and that’s good, so in the water business we’re happy. We’re smiling, and the farmers are smiling,” said Brian Werner with Northern Colorado Water.

Snowpack levels along the Colorado River are above average and the South Platte is at about 90 percent. Werner cautions that reservoir levels are still below capacity. “The caution here is that we had a lot of large holes going into 2013 that we’re not gonna get full. So, this is good. We like Mother Nature for this. As we like to say, there’s a lot of holes in there and no matter what happens we’re not going to get those full this year,” Werner said. Werner says Horsetooth Reservoir, a vital source of water for Fort Collins and Greeley, is about 18 feet below capacity but could rise roughly 5 feet more this spring.

One problem for reservoirs in Northern Colorado is that Lake Granby, the second largest reservoir in the state, won’t come close to filling this year because there isn’t enough snowpack in that area along the Western Slope.

From The Durango Herald (Dale Rodebaugh):

When the dust layers deposited on mountain snow April 8, April 14 and the 61-hour monster of April 15-17 come under a scorching sun, the already measly snowpack could melt into nothing in no time, the director of the Center for Snow & Avalanche Studies in Silverton said Thursday.

The albedo, the reflectivity of the Earth’s surface – dirt, sand, snow, ice – is key, Chris Landry said. Clean snow absorbs 5 to 20 percent of solar energy, but dust-covered snow absorbs 70 percent, Chris Landry said. The more energy absorbed, the faster the melt, he said. “Direct solar energy is bad news,” Landry said. “Air temperature is a relatively minor factor.”

The major dust event of the season so far – the sixth – occurred April 8, Landry said. The seventh occurred April 14. A break followed, then came the 61-hour assault. The dust arrives from northwest New Mexico and the Little Colorado River basin in Arizona, borne by wind from the south, southwest and west. “We’re retaining snow longer this year than last because of March and April storms,” Landry said. “But the water equivalent is no greater than last year.”

Runoff will surge when the three dust layers merge,” Landry said…

In a report to Montezuma County commissioners, John Porter, president of the Southwestern Water Conservation District, said mountain precipitation in the Animas, San Juan, Dolores and San Miguel basins in March was 56 percent of average. Stream flow in the basins from April to July is expect to range from 46 to 61 percent of average, Porter said…

“There’s a potential that it’s going to be a less than average year,” Sterling Moss, director of the Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Durango, said Friday. “Soil moisture – 18 to 20 inches of depth – is half to two-thirds of what we should have after a normal winter.”[...]

Tom O’Keeffe from the Durango Rafting Co. isn’t sweating it yet. “The snowpack is 72 percent of normal, and it was 44 percent this time last year,” O’Keeffe said, “The current cold is not pleasant, but it holds off the melt.”

Check out current snowpack levels for the #GrandValley @utewater uses Mesa Lakes and Park Resv sites. wrds.uwyo.edu/wrds/nrcs/upda…

— Ute Water (@UteWater) April 23, 2013

RT @denverchannel: Despite recent snowstorms, Denver Water cautions snowpack in its watersheds still below normal. ch7ne.ws/11wMXXj

— Denver Water (@DenverWater) April 23, 2013

From TheDenverChannel.com (Alan Gathright):

The snowpack in Denver Water’s watersheds is 87 percent of average in the Colorado River watershed and it is 78 percent of average in the South Platte River watershed, said Stacy Chesney of Denver Water, Colorado’s largest water utility. Chesney cautioned that, as spring warms up, it can be hard to use snowpack depths to accurately gauge the percent of average normal snowpack. The problem is that snow normally starts melting by mid-April. This means that the average snowpack level starts to decrease, while the percent of average normal snowpack begins increasing even in the absence of additional snow, she said. [ed. emphasis mine]

Even if this year’s snowpack reaches normal peak levels, Denver Water reservoirs remain below normal after two years of drought. At this point, Chesney said, “It is too early to say how full our reservoirs are going to get.”

From The Greeley Tribune (Analisa Romano):

Greeley will not impose additional watering restrictions for residents this year, Greeley Water and Sewer Board members decided on Wednesday. Sufficient storage, recent water purchases and past conservation practices led water board members to declare this year an “adequate water year,” meaning residents can count on watering their lawns three times per week with the city’s regular schedule. Greeley will continue its long-term rental agreements, which include about 4,500 acre-feet for agricultural users, but the board said the city will not lease any additional water this year.

Jim Hall, Greeley water resources manager, said officials are still waiting to hear a projection for Greeley’s shares from the Greeley-Loveland Irrigation Co. Depending on how much precipitation the area gets over the next few months, Hall said those shares could prompt the water board to come back in July to implement some drought restrictions or, if snow and rain continue to fall like the last few days, to allow farmers and ranchers to lease some water.

The past few weeks of heavy snow across Colorado have boosted snowpack significantly, Hall said, pointing to a 10 percent increase in the South Platte River basin, which is now at 85 percent of the state historic average. “What really hurt us was we didn’t get any early snow,” Hall said, adding that the rest of the year followed a fairly normal pattern.

Snowpack this year is 162 percent of what it was last year, “so we’re in much better shape,” Hall said.

The water board’s decision comes less than a week after the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District’s board of directors set a 60 percent quota for the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, from which Greeley gets a hefty portion of its water shares. Northern Water cited low reservoir levels and lack of mountain snowpack for reducing the quota this year.

If the city implemented mild drought restrictions, residents would conserve an additional 2,000 acre-feet that could be leased to agriculture, said Jon Monson, director of Greeley’s Water and Sewer Department. He said that would equate to about 800 acres of additional irrigated land — a blip of farmland on a map of the Greeley and Loveland farming areas. Monson said the drop in revenue due to a decline in water use would likely translate to a 0.75 percent increase in water rates for residents, and hiring “water cops” to ensure residents followed the additional watering restrictions would cost about $80,000. He said the total economic impact from leasing the water, including farmers buying seed and fertilizer and selling crops, would total about $900,000. While other communities implement watering restrictions, Greeley can enjoy a regular year because it has kept to a strict watering schedule since the 1900s, even during wet years, board members said. “I think the citizens of Greeley are going to benefit from that this year,” said Roy Otto, Greeley city manager.

Pow pow powder day! 13″ new… This is why we stay open! #Ullr #spring?

— Arapahoe Basin (@Arapahoe_Basin) April 23, 2013

Forecast news: Moderate snow for the northern mountains, red flag warning southwest #COdrought #COwx

A low pressure system and associated cold front will slowly sag southward across the region today through Tuesdaytwitpic.com/cl4cs6

— NWS Grand Junction (@NWSGJT) April 22, 2013

From the National Weather Service Grand Junction office:

A low pressure system and associated cold front will slowly sag southward across the region today through Tuesday morning. This storm system will bring periods of showers and isolated thunderstorms to the northern Colorado mountains/valleys, with a minimal chance of showers elsewhere. Moderate snow amounts are expected for the northern CO mountains with winter weather advisories in effect. Across far southwest Colorado, a Red Flag Warning is in effect this afternoon/evening due to expected low relative humidity, gusty winds and dry fuels. It will be much cooler on Tuesday behind the cold front, with showers diminishing in the afternoon. A gradual warm up begins Wednesday with above seasonal temperatures by Friday, it will also generally be dry the latter part of the week aside from a few mountain showers.

A new weather system is expected to enter the Rocky Mountain region Monday…pushing a surface cold front southwar twitpic.com/cl1q2r

— NWS Pueblo (@NWSPueblo) April 22, 2013

From the National Weather Service Pueblo office:

A new weather system is expected to enter the Rocky Mountain region Monday…pushing a surface cold front southward through Colorado by evening. Timing of the front should allow temperatures to warm to Sunday’s readings or higher…before cooler air starts to spill through the area late in the day. Rain and snow showers are possible most of the day over the mountains…while the region’s lower elevations will likely see precipitation delayed until the frontal passage in the afternoon and evening.

From the CoCoRaHS blog:

Deep snow cover over Canada has maintained the supply of cold air this spring and there is still 30 cm (12 inches) or more on the ground across the Prairie provinces. A persistent upper level trough pattern over over the central U.S. has deflected the storm track farther south this spring and allowed the cold air to spill farther south than normal.

In the past two days more than 600 record lows and 560 record low maximum temperatures have been recorded from the Dakotas to the southern tip of Texas…

Is there light at the end of the tunnel? There’s a light, but it might be another freight train, at least in the short term. An upper level system is moving into the Pacific Northwest today and will drop into the central Rockies by Tuesday. The surface low will organize in the Central Plains and bring another round of snow to an area from Wyoming and Colorado to Minnesota. Another surge of cold air will follow this system.

A cold front will move through the eastern plains of Colorado this evening and bring much colder air to the region twitpic.com/cl558k

— NWS Pueblo (@NWSPueblo) April 22, 2013

From the National Weather Service Pueblo office:

A cold front will move through the eastern plains of Colorado this evening and bring much colder air to the region. Expect any rain showers to quickly change to snow. Blowing snow can be expected as winds will be very gusty behind the front. Temperatures, after being near 70 degrees in many areas, will fall to the low to mid 20′s tonight.

From the Fort Collins Coloradoan:

The National Weather Service is calling for rain early in the day Monday followed by snow showers after noon. Daytime accumulation is expected to be minimal as winds gust up to 25 miles per hour. Weather service forecasters predict a 70 percent chance of precipitation. Overnight Monday, the snow is expected to continue with calmer winds and a forecast low of 20 degrees. The weather service predicts one to three inches of snow overnight. The chance of precipitation is forecast at 80 percent.

Coyote Gulch outage: I’m on deadline at Colorado Central magazine, I’ll see you on Monday

I’m on deadline at Colorado Central Magazine. I’ll see you on Monday morning.

Forecast news: Widespread scattered showers possible over the mountains and I-25 today, storm on the way Sunday #COdrought #COwx

An upper level disturbance will push across the state this afternoon. This system will bring isolated to scattered twitpic.com/ckmpu0

— NWS Pueblo (@NWSPueblo) April 20, 2013

From the National Weather Service Pueblo office:

An upper level disturbance will push across the state this afternoon. This system will bring isolated to scattered rain and snow showers across the mountains and Interstate 25 corridor. The best chances for precipitation will be over the central mountains where moderate snow accumulations are expected. Persons planning travel through this area should stay abreast of the latest advisories for this area and visit our web page at http://www.weather.gov/pub. Area temperatures will continue a warming trend today, with highs in the mid 50s to mid 60s expected over the eastern plains, with 40s and 50s over the high country.

A disturbance in northwest flow will push across the region today, bringing mountain snow and a good chance of rai twitpic.com/ckmi5p

— NWS Grand Junction (@NWSGJT) April 20, 2013

From the National Weather Service Grand Junction office:

A disturbance in northwest flow will push across the region today, bringing mountain snow and a good chance of rain/snow showers for the northern/central valleys. Southern valleys may see a few showers but the northern 2/3rds of the forecast area will be favored for precipitation. Snow levels will generally range from 5500-6500 feet, with the highest amounts across the northern mountains where 4-8 inches will fall. Precipitation will diminish this evening, with fairly pleasant conditions on Sunday. Another storm system will bring unsettled conditions to mainly the northern mountains/valleys Sunday night into early Tuesday, with fair conditions elsewhere.

Drought/snowpack news: Dust accompanying the recent storm may hasten melt out #COdrought

Click on the thumbnail graphics for the current snowpack map from the NRCS, the current U.S. Drought Monitor map and the current drought forecast map from the Climate Prediction Center.

From The Denver Post (Jason Blevins):

Little specks of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah rode in on the potentially record-setting 61-hour storm and promise to hasten snowmelt. And then, below that fresh layer of sun-absorbing, snow-melting dust is an uncommonly dense layer from an April 8 dust storm — the sixth of the season, or “D6″ — that will send the snowmelt down in surging torrents, drowning hope for a sustained release deep into summer. “None of the dust events we had last year were comparable to the April 8 event we had this year,” said Chris Landry, executive director of the Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies in Silverton, who has studied dust events and the impact on snowpack in southern Colorado for the last decade…

Water managers across Colorado, many of whom fund Landry’s research, lament the late-season dirt. That dark layer covering even the deepest snowpack prevents the slow and steady runoff that keeps rivers rolling and reservoirs replenished. Instead, the runoff comes down at once, forcing precious water that could irrigate fields in July and float rafts in August to run through the state months early. “Snowpack above 9,000 feet is our biggest water storage, and our best reservoir, and we want to keep water in that reservoir as long as possible,” said Jim Pokrandt with the Colorado River Water Conservation District. “The worse these dust layers are, you get the snow (disappearing) quicker and that affects late-season base flows in streams. The effects are felt from high elevation down to where we use the water for irrigation.”

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

Agricultural irrigators who use wells are likely to pump only one-fourth as much water as last year in the Arkansas Valley, and officials are worried about drought conditions even as snow piles up in the mountains. The three largest well associations in the valley anticipate pumping 30,000 acre-feet of water this year, down from 110,000 acrefeet in 2012, according to augmentation plans submitted to the Colorado Department of Water Resources.

Already austere pumping plans by the big well groups were cut back further by Water Division 2 Engineer Steve Witte, after it was determined they still owed water to the Arkansas River from 2012 pumping.

But even smaller wells are having trouble finding replacement water.

Analysis of last year’s plans showed that 30 of the 590 well augmentation plans in the Arkansas River basin failed to provide sufficient replacement water. “We’re looking at plans that don’t have replacement water and will have to take some sort of action,” Witte told the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District board Thursday. “Many plans rely on the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project allocation.”

The well groups rely on Fry-Ark return flows — water imported into the basin that can be reused until it’s gone — for replacement water. The problem is that there is less water available because of extremely low imports last year. The Fort Lyon Canal is looking at its first right of refusal on those return flows, which means it could purchase the water, meaning less would be available for well pumpers.

More from the Chieftain:

Last year, the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project yielded 13,400 acre-feet of water, the second-lowest year on record.

● This year, the Fry-Ark Project could produce more water, but it’s too soon to get hopes up. The April 1 projection by the Bureau of Reclamation was 24,700 acre-feet, but the amount available for allocation would be reduced because of evaporation and transit loss.

● Several feet of snow, with several inches of moisture content, have been added since then. Snowpack in the Upper Colorado River basin is now at 97 percent of average, while in the Upper Arkansas, it has climbed about 80 percent. But the averages are beginning to get skewed because melt-off begins in mid-April in most years. At a few sites, moisture content is above average.

● While the snowpack is climbing, three years of drought have reduced soil moisture levels and water storage. Storage this year is 47 percent of average in Turquoise Lake, 80 percent in Twin Lakes and 88 percent in Lake Pueblo. Transit losses and evaporation rates increase as stream and lake levels drop.

● Complicating the picture are minimum streamflow requirements for the Fryingpan River and at diversion sites for the Fry-Ark Project. Water can’t be brought over through the Boustead Tunnel unless those needs are met.

● The Boustead Tunnel has a limited capacity. If the snow begins to melt too fast, some of the water that could have been imported might be left on the other side. Because water freezes, the flow is inconsistent as well.

● The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District makes allocations in May based on Reclamation’s final May 1 forecast. Any water brought over can be reused until it’s gone, but competition for that water is increasing.

From Science Daily:

The area of the contiguous United States in moderate drought or worse fell below 50 percent for the first time since June 19, 2012, according to the latest edition of the U.S. Drought Monitor released Thursday. Heavy precipitation across the Plains and the upper Midwest continued to ease drought. The area of the lower 48 states in moderate drought or worse declined to 47.82 percent, from 50.82 percent a week ago. “We’ve been on a steady but slow recovery path from drought since the peak in September 2012,” said Mark Svoboda, University of Nebraska-Lincoln climatologist and a founding author of the Monitor. “We’ve seen a much more active weather pattern lately across the midsection of the country, which has been eroding the intensity of drought as we head into spring. This is exactly what we needed.”

From KRDO (Rachel Plath):

Spring storms have brought plenty of snow to the region, and the recent snows have prompted several ski resorts to extend their seasons. Colorado Springs Utilities said the snow is badly needed, but said it would not be enough to overcome the current drought. “This feels really good today. It’s nice to see the snow but it’s just not making a huge dent in our overall system,” said Patrice Lehermeier, CSU spokesperson.

The additional snowfall has increased statewide snowpack to 82 percent of average, up 10 percent from last month, but it is still below average…

Lehermeier said the benefit to the colder temperatures and the snow is that during the month of March and April, Colorado Springs residents have not needed to water their lawns. She said this has already saved 500 million gallons of water.

From Reuters via the Hartford Courant:

Last week’s storms brought more than 2 inches of precipitation to parts of the central Plains and western Corn Belt, the report said. But it was dry from west Texas to eastern Colorado into western Kansas and southwestern Nebraska. Big improvements were noted in the Dakotas and minor easing in Kansas, Wyoming and Colorado. But Nebraska, the most drought-stricken state and a key producer of corn and livestock, saw little improvement in the week. The entire state remains under severe to exceptional drought. The western Corn Belt, another area of concern given depleted soil moisture, also improved in the past week, especially Minnesota and Iowa. In Minnesota, just 21 percent of the state was in severe to extreme drought, down from 67 percent the week before.

From the Chaffee County Times:

A steady stream of March and April snowstorms in the high country have managers at Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) anticipating a good run-off this spring and steady flows for rafting throughout the summer. “The snowpack in the Upper Arkansas River Basin is much better this year than at the same time last year,” said Rob White, AHRA Park Manager. “We are looking forward to a great spring and summer season for whitewater boating.”

White said that as of April 18, the snow levels in the upper Arkansas basin are more than double what they were at this time last year. “Last year we received very little if any precipitation in March and April, while this year we have been more fortunate. The mountains that surround the Arkansas River Valley are continuing to receive snow,” he said.

Click here for the snowfall totals from this week’s storm for northern Colorado from the National Weather Service Boulder office.

From the Loveland Reporter-Herald (Tom Hacker):

Loveland’s total snowfall from a three-day storm that moved in Monday was a hair over 19 inches. That figure shows in data collected from home-based stations of the Colorado Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network…

This month is on track to compete as the coolest and wettest April in local weather history, with low temperatures setting daily records on several occasions during the first half of the month. For the first 17 days of April, Knoetgen’s station has recorded 20.7 inches of snow and 2.54 inches of total moisture. Normal numbers for the entire month are 3.8 inches of snow, and 2.16 inches of moisture.

From the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (James Chilton):

Cheyenne relies primarily on mountain snowpack for its municipal water as spring snowmelt helps to recharge the city’s five reservoirs. And while those reservoirs were in decent shape prior to the storm n at about 72.4 percent capacity n the new mountain snowpack should ensure they are all at or near 100 percent in time for summer, officials say…

According to Al Dutcher, a climatologist with High Plains Regional Climate Center in Nebraska, they are not out of the woods yet. He said that while the snows have contributed much-needed moisture to the topsoil in Wyoming, it isn’t enough to reach some of the deeper soil that crops need to grow best. “If we can break this cold weather and get seeds in the ground over the next few weeks, we’ve got enough moisture to at least get the crops established,” Dutcher said. “We just don’t have any deep subsoil profile moisture. So if we do get crops established, how aggressive will their rooting system grow into this soil?”[...]

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Drought Monitor website, this week is the first time in more than seven months that no part of the state is in “exceptional” drought. That is the worst of four categories that the site monitors. And only about 40 percent of the state is in “extreme” drought, compared to 64 percent on Jan. 1.

We’ve received 46″ of snow in the past 7 days. Today will be mostly sunny with a high near 31 degrees F. #Breck #cowx twitter.com/breckenridgemt…

— Breckenridge Resort (@breckenridgemtn) April 19, 2013

Many Controversies Surround the Colorado River. Explore Diverse Perspectives on CFWE Tours!

Reblogged from Your Water Colorado Blog:

It’s been a dry year. Although late-spring snowfalls brought snowpack in the Upper Colorado River Basin to 94 percent of average, the Colorado River runs dry in the delta.

Today, the mighty Colorado was declared ‘America’s Most Endangered River’ by American Rivers, an advocacy organization. Limited water supply and growing populations-- concerns throughout the state of Colorado and throughout the basin--  spurred this listing.

Read more… 390 more words

These tours sound like a hoot. I'm wondering if there will be a stop at the Grand River Ditch, a favorite of mine?

Forecast news: Isolated showers possible in the mountains, cold air to settle in #COwx #COdrought

We’ll get off to a cold start to the day with snow showers lingering along the continental divide throughout the d twitpic.com/ck6jie

— NWS Grand Junction (@NWSGJT) April 18, 2013

From the National Weather Service Grand Junction office:

We’ll get off to a cold start to the day with snow showers lingering along the continental divide throughout the day. The arctic airmass left in the wake of yesterday’s storm will keeps highs well below normal this afternoon, despite plenty of sunshine for much of the region. Overnight lows are expected to dip below freezing again tonight threatening tender vegetation and budding fruit trees. Temperatures will begin to warm Friday reaching near normal values this weekend. However…a pair of spring storms will impact the area Friday afternoon through Saturday night and another Sunday afternoon through Monday night bringing additional snow to the Colorado mountains…especially in the north.

Lingering snow showers and cloud cover will gradually decrease through the morning, though the mountains will cont twitpic.com/ck6a19

— NWS Pueblo (@NWSPueblo) April 18, 2013

From the National Weather Service Pueblo office:

Lingering snow showers and cloud cover will gradually decrease through the morning, though the mountains will continue to see isolated to scattered snow showers throughout the day. Additional accumulations of an inch or two will be possible over the mountains. Gusty north winds will continue across the area this morning, though will gradually decrease through the afternoon. Temperatures today will remain well below normal, topping out in the 30s and 40s across the lower elevations with 20s and 30s across the mountains.

Today’s outlook: Still very cold! Windy with some blowing snow on the eastern plains. Scattered snow showers mountains. #COwx

— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) April 18, 2013

Cold air spreading was across eastern Utah and western Colorado tonight. Low temperatures in the teens and 20s acr twitpic.com/ck4yse

— NWS Grand Junction (@NWSGJT) April 18, 2013

From the National Weather Service Grand Junction office:

Cold air spreading was across eastern Utah and western Colorado tonight. Low temperatures in the teens and 20s across the valleys tonight prompted a freeze warning for the Grand Valley, the Delta, Montrose and North Fork areas, and the lower valleys of southeast Utah including Moab. The heaviest snow from the most recent storm has shifted to the east, but scattered light snow will continue near the Continental Divide until morning.

Snowpack news: Good late season numbers north, runoff underway south #COdrought

Click on the thumbnail graphics for the statewide snowpack map along with the statewide Basin High/Low graph for yesterday. It’s been a long time since there was any green (average) on the statewide snowpack map. Back on February 12, 2013 the combined San Juan, Animas, Dolores and San Miguel snowpack showed up green, narrowly, at 91% of average. Yesterday, the Upper Colorado River and the North Platte River basins turned green due to the recent snowfall. Keep in mind that the Upper Colorado River Basin is often melting out by now so it is gaining against a declining average. In any case it increased 2-3 inches of SWE this month so far and that is good news.

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

… a steadily increasing snowpack…is approaching nearly normal levels at a few sites in the mountains. Statewide, snowpack was about 82 percent of normal Wednesday, 73 percent in the Arkansas River basin, but 94 percent in the Upper Colorado basin, which provides supplemental water to Arkansas River users. However, snowpack in the Purgatoire River basin, which helps farmers below John Martin Dam, is far below average.

Reservoir levels are well below 2012, and at 2003 levels for Turquoise and Twin Lakes. Lake Pueblo is at 88 percent of normal, better than it was in 2003, after drought had tapped out water supplies.

From the Loveland Reporter-Herald (Tom Hacker):

Five straight days of stormy mountain weather have pushed a once-dismal snowpack much closer to normal. High mountain snows that feed the Big Thompson and Poudre rivers were at 70 percent of normal levels April 8, but on Wednesday they had reached 86 percent of the average for the date. It’s a big jump, and at just the right time. “The good news is that this comes when we’re not watering and we’re not irrigating,” said Mage Skordahl, snow survey supervisor for the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Denver…

Just a week ago, municipal water providers and farmers heard gloomy predictions for the summer ahead from Northern Water, the agency that manages the water supply from the Colorado Big-Thompson Project. And board members of the agency on Friday said Northern Water would distribute just 60 percent of the annual water shares to users. That was before the snow began falling. The forecast for the northern Front Range calls for more mountain snow in the week ahead. “This is a good month, no question about it,” Northern Water spokesman Brian Werner said Wednesday. “It plays hell with my golf game, but I’m willing to forgo golf if it means we’ll have more water.”[...]

…a [SNOTEL site snow] pillow that transmits data from Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park on April 1 counted 10.3 inches of “snow water equivalent” — the conservation service’s most-watched measure. On Wednesday, it hit 14 inches, moving toward the 30-year median April peak of 18.6 inches. “From the point of view of the municipalities, we’re still below normal,” Skordahl said. “We depleted our reservoir storage so much last year that there’s still some concern. But if this keeps up, there’s a chance we could reach our normal peak. It’s great news that these storms have finally arrived.”

USGS: Piceance Basin Water-Quality Reports Now Available #ColoradoRiver

More than 50 years of water-quality data in the Piceance Basin now available from @usgs in 2 new reports ow.ly/k7SLY #Groundwater

— USGS (@USGS) April 16, 2013

Click here to read the release.

Forecast news: Isolated mountain showers ahead of next storm, red flag warning for San Luis Valley #CODrought #COwx

Expect a mix of clouds and sun over southeastern Colorado today. The mountains will have a chance for an isolatedtwitpic.com/cjqzmj

— NWS Pueblo (@NWSPueblo) April 16, 2013

From the National Weather Service Pueblo office:

Expect a mix of clouds and sun over southeastern Colorado today. The mountains will have a chance for an isolated rain or snow shower throughout the day, while the valleys and plains will remain windy and dry. Temperatures will be 10 to 20 degrees cooler than yesterday in most locations. Fire danger will remain high in the San Luis Valley. Wind driven snow, approaching blizzard conditions, is possible Wednesday night. Beginning across the Pike’s Peak area, the snow will move southeast through the eastern plains. Models still disagree on the timing and strength of this system.

A moist Pacific storm system will continue to bring widespread snow across northwest Colorado today. Occasional mo twitpic.com/cjrlbs

— NWS Grand Junction (@NWSGJT) April 16, 2013

From the National Weather Service Grand Junction office:

A moist Pacific storm system will continue to bring widespread snow across northwest Colorado today. Occasional moderate to heavy snow will occur across northwest Colorado. Valley areas will have snow, or a mix this morning, but precipitation is expected to change over to rain this afternoon. For the southern areas, considerably drier but more windy with gusts to 50 mph across the Four Corners region this afternoon. Rain and snow will stay confined to the La Sal, Abajo, and San Juan mountains. Precipitation will be on the increase tonight with snow levels lowering to the valley floors by morning. The storm will continue through Wednesday.

Significant snowfall expected for the northwest mountains as a new storm moves in tonight #COwx #COdrought

As one weather system departs the region this morning, another storm system arrives late tonight. This storm syste twitpic.com/cjbcuk

— NWS Grand Junction (@NWSGJT) April 14, 2013

From the National Weather Service Grand Junction office:

As one weather system departs the region this morning, another storm system arrives late tonight. This storm system has the potential to produce significant snow over the Colorado northwestern mountains from midnight tonight through Wednesday. Heavy wet snow is possible with accumulations of 15 to 25 inches with upwards to 30 inches. Elsewhere, mountain snow with valley rain showers are expected on Monday (except mostly dry far south). Very windy conditions will develop on Tuesday with intermittent showers. Much colder conditions are forecast on Wednesday with mountain snow showers likely.

Drought/snowpack news: Many eyes are on the current drought #COdrought #COwx

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

The Pueblo Board of Water Works will discuss two drought-related issues Tuesday at its monthly board meeting. Former City Councilman Ray Aguilera will talk to the board about his concerns for Lake Minnequa. “We’re paying more in stormwater fees for the pipeline into Lake Minnequa,” Aguilera said. “Can’t we find a way to get more water into it?” Aguilera pushed for creation of a city park, using state lottery funds to help develop it.

The water board is constructing a $1 million pipeline into the lake from St. Charles reservoirs at Stem Beach. The city is repaying the water board through stormwater fees. However, the agreement among the city, the water board and the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District does not require the water board to fill the lake. Water from the Lower Ark is supposed to pass through the lake, but during the drought of the past three years, the lake level has dropped below the discharge pipe that returns water to the Arkansas River.

The water board will also look at its drought policy on Tuesday. A proposal for a new policy would look at achieving targeted water use by up to 50 percent by limiting outdoor watering. Four stages are outlined in the new plan. They range from encouraging wise use, but not limiting outdoor water use; two-day weekly watering that saves 15 percent; one-day weekly watering that saves 30 percent; and no outdoor watering that saves 50 percent. So far, there are no restrictions on Pueblo watering.

Snowpack is at about two-thirds of average in the Arkansas River and Colorado River basins, which supply Pueblo’s water. Streamflows for the year are estimated to be about half of average, which should keep Pueblo’s senior water rights in priority. However, the water board could look at restrictions if, as in 2002, more senior ditch rights call out Pueblo’s rights.

6.5 inches in downtown Frisco #colorado instagram.com/p/YFt8amhoyF/

— Bob Berwyn (@bberwyn) April 14, 2013

Going out with a bang! Powder day on closing day. 15″ @beavercreekmtn / 13″ @vailmtn / 12″ @breckenridgemtn #cowx #colorado #snow

— Snow.com (@snowdotcom) April 14, 2013

From the National Weather Service Grand Junction office:

THE FOLLOWING ARE PRELIMINARY SNOW REPORTS, AS ESTIMATED BASED ON READINGS FROM REMOTE INSTRUMENTATION SCATTERED THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS OF EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO. THE SNOW FELL DURING THE 24 HOURS ENDING AT 5 AM SUNDAY MORNING.

IN WESTERN COLORADO,
THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS, 6 TO 12 INCHES.
THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS, 6 TO 12INCHES
THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS, 2 TO 6 INCHES.

IN EASTERN UTAH,
THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS, 2 TO 5 INCHES.
THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS, 2 TO 5 INCHES.
THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS, UP TO 2 INCHES.

From the Summit County Citizens Voice (Bob Berwyn):

Mother Nature saved her best for late in the season, as a mid-April storm dropped more than 12 inches of snow across the Colorado mountains, as well as some beneficial rain along the Front Range.

The potent storm blew in on the nose of the jet stream, with a strong and moist northwest flow blasting through the mountains Saturday night. Many areas reported their biggest single-storm snow totals for the entire season, including downtown Frisco, where 7 inches piled up overnight.

Severe Weather Awareness Week For Colorado 4-14-13 to 4-20-13 #COwx

Click here to read the proclamation from Governor Hickenlooper:

Here’s the release from the National Weather Service Grand Junction Office:

The National Weather Service wants everyone to be part of a Weather-Ready Nation. (http://www.nws.noaa.gov/com/weatherreadynation/)

Colorado is an annual host for tornadoes…flash floods…hail…killer lightning…and wind damage. Are you “weather ready”…do you know how to stay safe when severe weather threatens? Governor Hickenlooper has proclaimed this week…April 14th to April 20th as Colorado Severe Weather Awareness Week. Now is the time to learn more about severe weather in Colorado and develop severe weather preparedness plans.

Each year for the past 20 years there have been an average of 50 tornadoes in Colorado…3 people killed by lightning…and another 13 injured by lightning.

The National Weather Service offices which cover Colorado will issue a series of public information statements during the week covering the following topics…

…on Sunday…………Introduction
…on Monday………Watches and Warnings
…on Tuesday……..Tornadoes and Tornado Safety
…on Wednesday….Flood and Flash Flood Safety
…on Thursday…….Downburst Wind and Hail
…on Friday…………Lightning and Lightning Safety
…on Saturday………Severe Weather Awareness Week in Review

Warnings are issued by the National Weather Service for a variety of thunderstorm hazards. Make sure you have a way to receive warnings. If you live in a community with a siren…understand the protocol for sounding those sirens. If you have a relatively new cell phone you will receive tornado and flash flood warnings on your phone if you are in the area of the warning. NOAA All Hazards Weather Radios are a great resource for monitoring the weather and receiving warnings…and they can be found at most hardware or electronics stores.

Safety information…watches…warnings…forecasts…past weather and much more information is available at your local National Weather Service web sites…

WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BOU NWS DENVER
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PUB NWS PUEBLO
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GLD NWS GOODLAND
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GJT NWS GRAND JUNCTION

Forecast news: Six to twelve inches of snow on the way for the northern and central mountains #COdrought #COwx

A unsettled week of weather is in store for Colorado starting with a Winter Weather Advisory for the high country. twitter.com/NWSBoulder/sta…

— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) April 13, 2013

From the National Weather Service Pueblo office:

A unsettled week of weather is in store for Colorado starting with a Winter Weather Advisory for the high country.

Snow will move into the Continental Divide this evening through midday Sunday dropping significant amounts over ni twitpic.com/cj62wp

— NWS Pueblo (@NWSPueblo) April 14, 2013

From the National Weather Service Pueblo office:

Snow will move into the Continental Divide this evening through midday Sunday dropping significant amounts over night before tapering off Sunday afternoon. Snow showers are expected over the remainder of higher elevations overnight into late Sunday morning. Breezy winds will persist across most parts of southern Colorado through the night..with fire weather conditions possible through the Plains into mid week. Another cold front will shift south across the Plains by Monday evening with some light rain possible also. This will help to keep the temperatures at or above freezing for the plains Monday night into Tuesday morning..with snow continuing along the Continental Divide.

snow will move into the Continental Divide this evening through midday Sunday dropping significant amounts over ni twitpic.com/cj62nz

— NWS Pueblo (@NWSPueblo) April 14, 2013

CFWE 2013 President's Reception

Reblogged from Your Water Colorado Blog:

• 
• 

The Colorado Foundation for Water Education's 2013 President's Award Reception is shaping up to be an enticing event. The delicious food and drinks have been ordered, History Colorado is prepping Anschutz Hall, staff and board members are getting excited. It's going to be a great night-- especially if you're there.

So what are you waiting for? Register today!

As CFWE's board president, Gregg Ten Eyck writes,

Read more… 261 more words

Sounds like a hoot, don't miss this event.

Forecast news: 4-8 inches of snowfall from Vail Pass north #codrought #cowx

A cool northwest flow will be over the forecast area through the end of the workweek. A disturbance will quickly p twitpic.com/cijbzs

— NWS Grand Junction (@NWSGJT) April 11, 2013

From the National Weather Service Grand Junction office:

A cool northwest flow will be over the forecast area through the end of the workweek. A disturbance will quickly pass through today bringing numerous snow showers to the mountains, with winter weather advisories in effect over parts of the northern Colorado mountains. Valley locations will see isolated to scattered rain/snow showers today with activity diminishing later this afternoon. Another weaker disturbance will bring a chance of northern mountain snow showers on Friday. An extended period of unsettled conditions is anticipated later Saturday through the middle of next week, with periods of rain/snow/windy weather across the north and a chance of showers/windy weather across the south. Temperatures will continue to moderate into this weekend returning to seasonal/above normal levels by Saturday, then a gradual downturn is expected once again early next week.

Drought/snowpack news: Upper Colorado snowpack = 75% of avg, South Platte = 70% #codrought

Click on the thumbnail graphics for the South Platte Basin High/Low and Upper Colorado River Basin High/Low graphs, along with the current statewide snowpack map.

From the Fort Collins Coloradoan (Bobby Magill):

The snowstorm that brought strong winds but less snow than expected on Tuesday had a minor effect on the Larimer County snowpack, dropping about 2 inches of snow in the Red Feather Lakes area and about an inch near Estes Park. Some areas west of Fort Collins reported up to 4 inches on Tuesday. Despite the recent spate of spring storms, the snowpack in all the region’s river basins remains far below normal. The water content of the snow in the South Platte River Basin, which includes the Poudre River and Poudre Canyon, is 29 percent below normal, and the Laramie and North Platte Basin is 20 percent below normal, according to federal SNOTEL data released Wednesday.

From The Greeley Tribune:

Following a hot and drought-plagued 2012, this year is so far cooler and wetter than normal. The average temperature last month in Greeley was 40.1 degrees, 3.7 degrees below normal for March, and it stands as the 18th-coolest March on record for the city, according to numbers provided by the Colorado Climate Center in Fort Collins. Through the end of March, Greeley’s average temperature for 2013 was 33.8, 2.9 degrees below normal, and this year is so far tied for the 16th-coolest.

Precipitation in March was down a bit — at 1.10 inches, just 0.02 below normal — but total precipitation for 2013 through the end of March is above normal. As of March 31, Greeley had received 2.17 inches of precipitation for the year, which is 0.17 inches above normal, and this year stands as the 13th-wettest on record.

From the Leadville Herald-Democrat:

Snowfall in March produced a nominal increase in the statewide snowpack percentage, according to Phyllis Ann Philipps, State Conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The latest snow surveys confirm that statewide snowpack has increased slightly from 73 percent of median on March 1 to 74 percent on April 1. This is the third consecutive month that the snowpack has increased by just one percentage point. Most major basins saw slight improvements to snowpack percentages during March. Although the state snowpack remains well below normal, the good news is that most basins continue to accumulate snow and have yet to reach their peaks for the year.

The Arkansas River basin had an increase of 3 percentage points.

In a typical winter the state receives around 20 percent of its seasonal snow accumulation during March. This winter, however, March precipitation recorded at SNOTEL sites was well-below normal, with the exception of the South Platte and Colorado River basins. There is almost no chance that the snowpack will reach normal conditions before beginning to melt.
Reservoir storage remains well-below average statewide, and all major basins in Colorado are expected to see below-average stream-flow runoff this spring and summer.

In the Arkansas Valley as of April 1, snowpack is at 74 percent of median and 122 percent of what it was this time last year. Reservoir storage is at 55 percent, and 64 percent of this time last year.

From the Canyon Courier (Sandy Barnes):

Extended drought conditions and non-point-source pollution are concerns for those who monitor water quality in the Bear Creek watershed. “We’re going to have a little less water and will have to adjust,” Russ Clayshulte, Bear Creek Watershed Association manager, said during a panel discussion on April 4.

According to recent data from Snowtel, the snowpack was 74 percent of the normal amount, he said.

In addition to low snowpack, both humans and animals are impacting the health of the creek, said Clayshulte. Although advanced wastewater treatment facilities are effective in containing phosphorus, nitrogen and other harmful elements, there are 27,000 septic systems in the Evergreen area that are totally unregulated, he said…

“This year, water managers are worried,” said Clayshulte. Even with extensive precipitation, it takes three to four years to restore water levels to pre-drought conditions, he said. “You may have to let your grass die,” Clayshulte said to those in the audience at the Evergreen Fire/Rescue auditorium, where the event was held.

From the Fort Lupton Press (Gene Sears):

With last year’s hotter than normal temperatures expected again this summer and a snowpack hovering at around 77 percent of average, the outlook is dire. The South Platte basin has it the worst in the state so far, with snow totals more than 30 percent under averages for the year. In response, several municipalities are already setting restrictions in place for the spring/summer watering season. Ranging from outright bans on watering until a specified date, restrictions limiting turf water usage to as little as two days per week and strictly enforced time-of-day watering cycles, the conservation practices are expected to be tighter than last season, with fire danger potentially higher. According to Fort Lupton’s Finance Director Leann Perino, aside from the normal yearly restrictions in place on an annual basis, the city has no current plans to cut back water usage on the part of residents — at least not at this point.

From Steamboat Today (Matt Stensland):

With no end to the drought in sight, Steamboat Springs has joined many other Colorado communities in announcing upcoming water restrictions. The Stage 2 restrictions will go into effect May 1. The same restrictions were enacted last year on June 28. Mount Werner Water and Sanitation District General Manager Jay Gallagher said imposing the restrictions earlier this year will be more effective in curbing the consumption of treated water…

The restrictions affect the four districts that provide water to the Steamboat area: Mount Werner Water and Sanitation District, the City of Steamboat Springs District, the Steamboat II Metro District and the Tree Haus Metro District.

Starting May 1, no outdoor watering will be allowed from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Residents who have an even-numbered address can water only Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Residents with an odd-numbered address can water only Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. No watering is permitted Wednesdays…

Among other restrictions, vehicles cannot be washed at residences and hard surfaces such as driveways, sidewalks and parking lots cannot be washed with potable water…

The Steamboat Springs Water Conservation Plan adopted in 2011 outlines when water restrictions will be put in place. Among the criteria is when the snowpack at the Tower measuring site April 1 is below 80 percent of average. On April 1, the snow-water equivalent was at 64 percent of average. The snowpack rebounded a bit April 3 to 71 percent of average. Among the other criteria, above-average temperatures are predicted from April to August. Below average precipitation also is being forecast…

In the Steamboat area, Fish Creek provides most of the drinking water. Gallagher said the reservoir fed by natural flows from the melting snowpack is expected to fill. The problem is that the irrigation season likely will be like last summer when it was four to six weeks longer. That means reservoir levels will begin to drop sooner than typical prompting the conservation efforts.

From the Cortez Journal (Jordyn Dahl):

The deadly combination of below-normal precipitation and warmer-than-normal temperatures has local fire officials on edge and preparing for an active fire season…

The forecast for water inflow into McPhee Reservoir this year is 43 percent of average, said Mike Preston, general manager for the Dolores Water Conservancy District.

The mountains have below-average snowpack and what precipitation does run down is seeping into the extremely dry soil, he said. The snowpack is running between 70 and 80 percent of normal, said Chris Cuoco, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, based in Grand Junction.

From The Aspen Times (Scott Condon):

…the snowpack isn’t great. The Independence Snotel site, an automated measuring device, shows the snowpack at just 70 percent of average east of Aspen but 130 percent of the level one year ago, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, a federal agency. In the Fryingpan River Valley east of Basalt, the snowpack at the Ivanhoe site is 98 percent of average and 133 percent of last year’s level. However, the snowpack is bleak at lower elevations of the valley. At the Kiln site, the snowpack is just 69 percent of average and at Nast Lake it’s only 39 percent. In the Crystal River Valley south of Carbondale, the snowpack at Schofield Pass is just 75 percent of average but 119 percent of last year. It’s even more pronounced at McClure Pass, with the snowpack at 74 percent of average but 179 percent of last year, the agency reported…

The U.S. Drought Monitor weekly map released April 2 shows all of Pitkin and Eagle counties rated in “extreme” drought. That is the fourth-worst classification of drought on a scale from 1 to 5. The entire state is rated in some level of drought. The southeast corner is the worst with “exceptional” drought. The southwest corner is best off with “moderate” drought. Pitkin County has been rated in “extreme” drought since early January…

The ongoing drought already has spurred talks of lawn-watering restrictions in some Colorado cities and towns. Basalt Town Manager Mike Scanlon said his staff hasn’t discussed yet if there is a need for lawn-watering restrictions.

Meanwhile, Ruedi Reservoir is significantly lower now than it was at the same time last year. The reservoir is about 60 percent full with 61,383 acre-feet of water. Last year it was 70 percent full with 71,174 acre-feet. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which manages the reservoir, generally waits for snowpack data and streamflow forecasts on May 1 to make definitive projections on whether the reservoir will fill. “At this point, we’re skeptical it will get all the way full,” said bureau spokeswoman Kara Lamb.

From The Colorado Springs Gazette (Matt Steiner):

Venetucci Farm learned in a Feb. 20 letter from the Colorado Water Protective and Development Association that it will not receive any augmentation water for the 2013 pumping season. The news left farm leaders wondering how they would keep the livestock fed and continue to cultivate crops, including bright orange pumpkins that have been given out to about 5 million kids over the last 70-plus years. “Our entire operation is in jeopardy,” said Mike Hannigan, CEO of Pikes Peak Community Foundation, which runs the farm…

According to Hannigan, the farm sits on “tremendous resources” of water but the Pikes Peak Community Foundation does not own the surface water rights on its own property. Instead the farm must lease water from the CWPDA. So, foundation officials did not hesitate after receiving the letter. They’ve been on a quest to find other sources to make a quick fix for 2013. “I immediately started calling everybody I knew who owned any surface water,” Hannigan said.

He found a family in Colorado Springs that might be willing to share some water. “They have been absolutely wonderful to us and I just got an email saying they think they can help us out,” Hannigan said Tuesday morning. The foundation is negotiating with the family to lease water for this season and Hannigan is “working with them to “keep the price reasonable” despite rising water costs amid a drought that began in 2011.

As for a long-term solution, Hannigan said the plan is to look into purchasing the water rights at the farm. That would cost about $2 million but would be a “permanent solution,” he said.

It will be standing room only at the Northern Water board meeting Thursday #ColoradoRiver

Big water users meeting on tap for Thursday bit.ly/11VgxX9

— NCBR (@NCBR) April 10, 2013