Snowpack Figures.

[Neal/CO]

These figures come from the Natural Resource Conservation Service on page 12d of the Denver Post. To anyone who has been up in the hills ice fishing they should come as no great shock!

Arkansas Drainage: 65% of normal
North Platte Drainage: 61% of normal
Colorado Drainage: 69% of normal
Gunnison Drainage: 59% of normal
Rio Grande: 45% of normal
San Juan: 40% of normal
Yampa Drainage 67% of normal

Better prey for a wet March!!! Dave K. you better make your Conchas trip pretty quick?

Thanks Neil
Like to know what we don't have coming our way here in NE.

[Neal/CO]

From what I have heard the Wyoming ranges that also contribute to the North Platte are really hurting? Which is bad news for us Glendo and Big Mac fans! With the Rio Grande drainage so low and such low snow packs in New Mexico, some of the New mexico fisheries are at Risk?

I read also that El Nino may again be forming in the Pacific? If so, that could help us out this spring and summer?

Check out the link below. It will give you Snow totals for the Western US !!!!

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/sno_narr3_pl

This site is sometimes updated daily.

[Neal/CO]

Very informative site, thanks. I was surprized to see that wyoming isn't quite as bad as I had heard and that New Mexico is even worse!

[dkooser]

The CO DOW guys said at the CWA meeting last month that the level of Pueblo as of March 15th will be what we will live with for the remainder of the summer. As of MArch 15 they will have to open the gates and let out exactly (or more) what comes in. Probably something to do with downstream states getting what is theirs, CO water.

Looks like it could be a long summer.

[Neal/CO]

What we need are a series of big wet Pacific fronts in march. It's not to late, actually those totals are better than I thought we were at! Also last year we were so dry come spring, that 40% of the runoff was soaked into the ground instead of running off. Also it got warm all of a sudden and the snowpack melted quickly. We need a wet gradually warming spring this year in the worst way!!!

[EricCO]

I like things that are wet and warm. I mean springs that are wet and warm.

"Hunting 'eyes in the Three-O-Three"

[Kevin/CO]

Well there's a slightly bright side here. If things don't get much worse then last year we can keep mapping out structure on our favorite spots for when the water levels come back up. Also with less water to cover teh fish are more concentrated right? Nobody ever said I wasn't an optimist, lower water just makes it more challenging.