Runoff
February 23, 2010--Road salt melts snow, but it contaminates groundwater and damages habitats (Washington Post)
We toss more than 20 million tons of sodium chloride on our roadways every winter. That's about 13 times more salt than is used by the entire food processing industry. Salt lowers the freezing temperature of water and thus melts street-clogging snow and ice.
February 19, 2010--Low spring runoff, low flood threat in forecast (Grand Junction Sentinel)
The Colorado River isn’t expected to swell in water volume as much as normal during the upcoming spring runoff, according to a National Weather Service forecast. Also, flood potential because of melting snow is not high for now for most of western Colorado and eastern Utah, according to the agency’s spring flood and water resources outlook.
February 4, 2010--Spring runoff expected to be below average (Aspen Daily News)
This winter’s below average snowfall, as one might expect, indicates there could be a low runoff this spring. “The outlook for runoff in the Upper Colorado, North Platte, Yampa, White and South Platte rivers continues to call for well below average flows,” said Allen Green, state conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, a department of the U.S.
January 27, 2010--High stakes snow speculation: Gauging our water future (Crested Butte News)
As of January 25, the snow-water equivalent totals for the Gunnison River Basin were at 97 percent of average, according to data from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The Gunnison Basin stretches over 8,000 square miles of western Colorado, extending from the Continental Divide to the confluence of the Gunnison and Colorado Rivers near Grand Junction.
January 19, 2010-- Snowpack dangerously close to drought levels (Colorado Independent)
Badly needed snowfall is expected in Colorado’s high country this week, but one expert says the state will need much more than the amount in the forecast to stave off drought on par with the one that marked the parched year of 2002, which saw reservoirs depleted to record-low levels and raging wildfires.
January 13, 2010--January snowpack lowest since 2002 (Sky-Hi Daily News)
On Nov. 1, SNOTEL data indicated basin snowpacks were over 130 percent of average. Unfortunately, a poor showing during November resulted in a drop in snowpack percentages by Dec. 1 to a mere 65 percent of average.
January 10, 2010--Forecasts expect runoff to be low in New Mexico rivers (Durango Herald)
Spring runoff is expected to be below average in New Mexico's two major river systems this spring, according to National Weather Service forecasts. The Rio Grande is expected to see only 91 percent of average runoff into Elephant Butte Reservoir north of Truth or Consequences, according to Ed Polasko of the NWS.
December 17, 2009--Helping Mother Nature (Durango Herald)
A Durango consultant who takes action on a subject most people only talk about - the weather - is one of the protagonists in a film shown Sunday at the global-warming conference in Copenhagen.
December 13, 2009--Wildlife guzzlers gouge water rift between Nevada resource agencies (Los Angeles Times)
Wildlife guzzlers—contraptions that capture rainwater and melting snow in remote places for thirsty animals to drink — have triggered a turf war between two Nevada resource agencies. Members of the state Board of Agriculture argue that as their numbers increase, guzzlers are altering the landscape and taking precious resources, whether water or forage, from ranchers.
December 12, 2009--Storm helps water levels (Cortez Journal)
After a major storm dumped large amounts of snow on the area, things are starting to look up for Montezuma County's reservoirs. Following months of little to no precipitation, Monday and Tuesday's storm system brought needed moisture to the area, offering hope the winter snowpack and spring run-off will be better than anticipated.
