DENVER-
Colorado’s once-ample snowpack is melting earlier and much faster than usual, raising concerns about floods, wildfires and water shortages, officials said Wednesday.
“Normally we don’t even see runoff begin until early April, and to see it already start is pretty impressive, and not in a good way,” said Mike Gillespie, snow survey supervisor for the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The National Interagency Fire Center predicted the dry weather will increase the wildfire threat. “It certainly is of concern,” said Glenn Bartter of the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center, which coordinates federal, state and local firefighting efforts.
The statewide snowpack was 77 percent of the 30-year average on Wednesday. Three weeks ago it was 91 percent.
The early runoff means the water may be gone by the time farmers need it later in the year. It also could bring rivers to their peak before rafters are ready to book their trips.
“We are on track to be one the earliest melt-out in one southwestern (Colorado) area since 1979,” Gillespie said. “The flow in the San Juan River near Pagosa Springs is 10 times the average for this time of year.”
“It has been our busiest March in over five years,” Melissa Paxton of 4 Corners Riversports in Durango. “People are ready to get out there.”
He said he state has seen practically no moisture in March, which usually is one of the wettest months.
The Vail Daily reported that some people were skiing in shorts and town workers were preparing the golf course for summer.
“I’m full of repairs. We can’t seem to take them in fast enough at this point,” Moontime Cyclery bike shop owner said Frank Mitchell told the newspaper.
Most basins are close to average, except the Arkansas and Rio Grande, which are 60 to 70 percent of average.
Treese said utilities, irrigation districts and reservoir managers have already made adjustments to make sure they capture every drop of water because of the early melt.
Denver Water, the state’s largest supplier with 1.1 million customers, reported Wednesday its reservoirs were 90 percent full.
