•Basin Conditions •River Forecasts •Water Supply

CBRFCApril 2009

Water Supply Webinar

1:00pm MDT, April 8, 2009

William B. Reed

Outline• March Weather

Review• April 7th Snow

States• Weather Forecast• April 1st Water

Supply Forecasts

Web Reference: www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/wsup/pub2/map/html/cbrfc.4.2009.html

Web Reference: http://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/precip/qpe/mapsum/mapsum.cgi??cbrfc?M?2009?03

Web Reference: http://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/gmap/gmap.php

Slightly Improved Conditions

The Same Or Drier Conditions

March 1st to April 7th

Passed Seasonal Snow Peak

Change between March 1st & April 7th

March

April

• In general, the snow conditions have slightly improved in the Northern Basins, less 75-90 more 90-110.

• About the same in headwaters of the San Juan River Basin.

• Drier in the Virgin River Basin.

Web Reference: http://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/snow/station/sweplot/sweplot.cgi?LOPW4+KNDW4+NFLW4+EKPW4+TRPW4+GRVW4-Green+-+abv+Fontenelle?avg.2009.2008

2000 is closest using peak to date, a dry year (flow for 2000 is ranked 14th lowest out of 51 years)

Green - above Fontenelle Reservoir (lopw4 kndw4 nflw4 ekpw4 trpw4 grvw4)

April 7th

Web Reference: http://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/snow/station/sweplot/sweplot.cgi?yrList=avg&yrList=2009&yrList=2008&stationList=EKPW4&stationList=GRVW4&stationList=KNDW4&stationList=LOPW4&stationList=NFLW4&stationList=TRPW4&monly=0&tavg=s&hsim=sknn&index=&dbsvr=&indextitle=Green+

Green - above Fontenelle Reservoir (lopw4 kndw4 nflw4 ekpw4 trpw4 grvw4)

Can zoom in. Also looking at the above plot we can see 2009 is not that different from 2008 (flow for 2008 is ranked 18th lowest out of 51 years).

April 7th

Web Reference: http://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/snow/station/sweplot/sweplot.cgi?BLSC2+WLLC2+LKIC2+PHTC2+SCSC2+AROC2+BTSC2+HOOC2+CPMC2+SUMC2+FMTC2+VLMC2+IVHC2+KLNC2+IDPC2+SOSC2+NLSC2+MESC2-

Upper+Colorado+Mainstem?avg.2009.2008

April 7th

Currently snow falls between average and 2008.

Upper Colorado Mainstem

Web Reference: http://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/snow/station/sweplot/png/trlu1+llku1+hfku1.07-17-avg.2009.2008.0.s.0.png

Bear River April 7th

Currently snow is average and just a little less than 2008.

Last 14 days…

Web Reference: http://water.weather.gov

Last 7 days…

Web Reference: http://water.weather.gov

Since April 1st CBRFC has received precipitation…but these amounts have only been above normal in a few areas. However, significant precipitation has fallen in a few headwater areas.

Forecast Precipitation

Web References: www.hpc.noaa.gov and www.cpc.noaa.gov

Web Reference: http://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/climate/climoForecasts.cgi

•Basin Conditions •River Forecasts •Water Supply

Green River Basin -Water Supply Forecasts

Both the Upper Green and Yampa/White Basin Forecasts have essentially remained the same from March to April.

Both the Duchesne and Lower Green Basin Forecasts have dropped slightly from March to April.

•Basin Conditions •River Forecasts •Water Supply

Upper Colorado -Water Supply Forecasts

Both the Upper Colorado Mainstem and Gunnison Basin Forecasts have dropped slightly from March to April.

Web Reference: http://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/wsup/pub2/graph/png/do.cond.2009.4

Water Year Precipitation, SWE, and Forecast have the same general pattern.

•Basin Conditions •River Forecasts •Water Supply

San Juan Basin -Water Supply Forecasts

Web Reference: http://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/wsup/pub2/graph/png/sj.cond.2009.4

Forecasts dropped slightly from March to April.

•Basin Conditions •River Forecasts •Water Supply

Great Salt Lake -Water Supply Forecasts

Both the Bear and Lower Weber Basin Forecasts have increased slightly from March to April.

Both the Six Creeks and Utah Lake Basin Forecasts have increased slightly from March to April.

•Basin Conditions •River Forecasts •Water Supply

Sevier Basin -Water Supply Forecasts

Web Reference: http://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/wsup/pub2/graph/png/sv.cond.2009.4

Forecasts dropped slightly from March to April.

•Basin Conditions •River Forecasts •Water Supply

Lower Colorado -Water Supply Forecasts

Web Reference: http://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/wsup/pub2/graph/png/vg.cond.2009.4

Forecasts dropped slightly from March to April.

Web Reference: http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/westernwater/

Yampa River Basin has forecasts that fall in the range of 110 -130 % of average.

Web Reference: http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/westernwater/?page=evolution&id=WBRW4&per=4-7

245 kaf @ 92%

Web Reference: http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/westernwater/index.php?id=BMDC2&page=evolution&sendme=y

690 kaf @ 96 %

Web Reference: http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/westernwater/index.php?id=&mapcenter=&mapzoom=&mapcheck=n&cfore=for&cforetype=mean&fdate=2009-04-01

Click on a point. Then click view evolution plot.

Web Reference: http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/westernwater/index.php?page=evolution&id=GLDA3

Web Reference: http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/westernwater/index.php?page=evolution&id=GLDA3

Colorado at Lake Powell, Glen Cyn Dam, At, Arizona (GLDA3 - CBRFC)

Online Publication

Web Reference: www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/wsup/pub2/map/html/cbrfc.4.2009.html

•Basin Conditions •River Forecasts •Water Supply

Aspinall Unit OperationsandColorado Water Supply Meeting

USBR Grand Junction OfficeThursday, April 23rd , 20099:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Hosted by:United States Bureau of ReclamationNational Weather Service Forecast OfficeColorado Basin River Forecast Center

•Basin Conditions •River Forecasts •Water Supply

More Resources• www.cbrfc.noaa.gov• www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/westernwater

• Next April webinars:– Peak Flow Forecasts: 10am, April 9, 2009

• May webinars– Water Supply: 1pm, May 7, 2009– Peak Flow Forecasts: 10am, May 12,

2009

Bill Reed

Senior Hydrologist, CBRFCPhone: 801.524.5130

Email: bill.reed@noaa.gov

Feedback, Questions, Concerns always welcome….