[Chief Niwot]

Nederland got 12" + this weekend and Eldora over 2'! First tracks at Eldora was awsome on Saturday morning!

Anyone with a report on snow amounts in the Poudre watershed? I hope they got a bunch of this!

 

[jonny water]

I went on a yurt trip this past weekend in the Poudre drainage. We were up past Joe Wright resevoir and we got dumped on. At least 16 inches fell and probably more. Also, checked out the burn area from the road along the Poudre. It doesn't look bad from the road. In fact, by the time the river is running, you won't even be able to notice much. The worst section is down by the filter plant near the picnic rock campground. I saw a guys house on the opposite side of the road from the campground and was wondering if that was the guy who started the fire?

The river is definitely not running....barely a trickle.

 

[badkins]

Our snowpack is at 76%!!!!!! That's like a 25% increase in a week!!!! Praise the lord!!! Or the rain gods!!! Or whatever!!! Halleluja Amen!

 

[Andy H.]

This US Government website may not be EXACTLY what you're looking for but its a really good way to check on how each of the major basins is doing in terms of snowpack.

http://www.co.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/data/basins.html

-Andy

 

[cstork]

It seems that because of the March warm spell, snow pack doesn't tell the whole story. If you look at http://www.co.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/data/basinplotark04.html, you can see that total precipitation in the Arkansas basin appears to be above average, but unforunately 35% of it has already melted. That melt is presumably in ground water and the reservoirs since the Ark hasn't started to flow yet. But, the water should contribute.

However, I expect the water boards will ignore the total precipitation and instead focus on snow pack. They'll find any excuse to declare another water shortage year.

 

[Andy H.]

This year IS another water shortage year, unless we have a phenomenal spring (keep your fingers crossed!). Currently the reservoirs need to be refilled and folks on the front range need to get used to the idea of lawn watering restrictions.

Along with helping out soil moisture and helping fill the reservoirs, there's a significant portion of the snowpack that evaporates every year. That's where a significant part of the snowpack went.

--Andy

 

[cstork]

Andy,

If the reservoirs are projected to be 95% full when all the snow melt comes down, http://www.water.denver.co.gov/reslevelsmore/pdfs/supply.pdf, where's the shortage? They can't predict summer rain yet?

I want to be a good civic minded citizen, but I have a hard time trusting government without some checks--the newspapers don't seem to be doing it.

 

[Caspian]

Powell and Mead are not projected to be 95% full, and I believe that's where all the Colorado snow that falls west of the Divide (and isn't diverted to the east) heads to.

Drip irrigation, anyone?