Denver residents may be getting sick of the snow, but Front Range water managers are rejoicing at the way the winter storms have been loading up the mountain snowpack.
Statewide, the snowpack is 91 percent of average. Last year at this time, it was 89 percent of average. Two years ago, it was 81 percent.
“It looks good for Front Range water users, because east of the divide will have average or above-average runoff,” said Mike Gillespie, snow-survey supervisor for the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The reading of the snowpack this time of year gives water managers an idea about their water-storage potential for the summer watering season.
The latest figures set to be released today show plenty of snow for eastern river basins that feed Colorado’s metro area, but a below-average amount for the Western Slope.
This year, more snow appears to have fallen on the east side of the Continental Divide than the west. Typically, the division is between the north and the south, Gillespie said.
On the east side of the mountains, the South Platte River basin is 113 percent of average and the Arkansas River basin is 114 percent of average. Those basins are where most Front Range cities get their water.
On the west side, the Colorado River basin is 96 percent of normal. And the Yampa and White River basins are 83 percent of normal.
“For parts of the Western Slope … it is certainly not going to be bad as in some of those drought years,” Gillespie said. “But this will be their third consecutive year of below-average runoff.”
Denver Water officials are pleased with the report. “It’s great to be normal,” said Mark Waage, water resources engineer for Denver Water – the state’s largest water provider.
“It means that barring really dry weather this spring and summer, our reservoirs are going to fill and our water supply should be in good shape,” he said.
Denver Water’s reservoirs are already 89 percent full. Normal for this time of year is 81 percent.
“Finally, the storms are hitting the higher elevations of our watersheds,” he said. “The December blizzards didn’t do much for our mountain watersheds. ”
Aurora and Colorado Springs also say their reservoirs’ storage is above historical averages.
Darrell Hanavan, director of the Colorado Wheat Administrative Committee, said snow on the plains is a boon for winter wheat farmers – adding 4 to 6 inches of crop moisture.
Farmers have had six below average winter wheat crops in the past seven years, he said.
“We’ve been in a continuous drought,” Hanavan said. “Most of the crops should be in mostly good to excellent condition. Some still haven’t emerged from under the snow.”
Staff writer Jeremy P. Meyer may be reached at 303-954-1367 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com.
