Well this is interesting...

[rivermobster]

We all know our beloved river gets the majority of it's water from the Rocky Mountains, right? So I dug around a bit to see if I could find some snowpack history from those mountains.

What do you guys make of this??

Colorado Historical Snowpack Percentages by Watershed | NRCS Colorado

 

[Taboma]

We all know our beloved river gets the majority of it's water from the Rocky Mountains, right? So I dug around a bit to see if I could find some snowpack history from those mountains.

What do you guys make of this??

Colorado Historical Snowpack Percentages by Watershed | NRCS Colorado

I vote we return to 2019 and water resources only being one reason

 

[Howardflat]

Seems like global warming brought more snow earlier and later in the season after 1980. Unless the data just isnt there for those months.

 

[motormonkey]

Kinda hard to call a drought for the lakes and rivers with those numbers or am I missing something?

 

[mjc]

anyway you look at it there are too many people using the water now and it gets worse every year. make every complainer move back east to help us save water.

 

[Cobalt232]

A lot of that snowpack can just evaporate as well if it is windy. Never turns into runoff. But, where did all the 2019 water go?

 

[Yldboyz]

That doesn't make sense to me.

 

[motormonkey]

Toilet to tap, just like san dog. The problem now is it will take years for a resolution can bacome viable.

 

[motormonkey]

That doesn't make sense to me.

Just wanna say, nice gif.

 

[DaveH]

this just underscores how we cant really believe anything we are being told anymore.

the snow pack numbers obviously don't fit the narrative of how low mead/powell actually is.

 

[rivermobster]

this just underscores how we cant really believe anything we are being told anymore.

the snow pack numbers obviously don't fit the narrative of how low mead/powell actually is.

My thought as well...

Google says March is the snowiest month in the Rockies. But, when I see snowpack in June, wouldn't that mean there should be a shit ton of runoff that year?

I'm having a hard time making sense of this.

 

[RCDave]

Government has proven to really bad at math, stats, and counting.....

 

[SkyDirtWaterguy]

Until they stop building and control the massive influx of people in California, Phoenix and Vegas and the ever increasing utilization rate, expect the water shortage to continue becoming a problem. As long as city planners continue issuing building permits, the water shortage is not a problem! How many massive housing developments and multi family apartment buildings do you see popping up everywhere? I'm not a tree hugger but, humans WILL fuck up this planet.

 

[MSum661]

We all know our beloved river gets the majority of it's water from the Rocky Mountains, right? So I dug around a bit to see if I could find some snowpack history from those mountains.

What do you guys make of this??

Colorado Historical Snowpack Percentages by Watershed | NRCS Colorado

Depends of which side of the Rockies we're measured in 2021. East side or West side.
Areas east of the Continental Divide had above average snowpack, but the Colorado River Basin on the west was below average.

 

[Crazyhippy]

My thought as well...

Google says March is the snowiest month in the Rockies. But, when I see snowpack in June, wouldn't that mean there should be a shit ton of runoff that year?

I'm having a hard time making sense of this.

I believe those numbers are comparing month to month average. March average could be 50", so 48" is only 96%. June Average might only be 10", so 48" is 480%.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

West vs East side of the Rockies, I have some friends that live in Denver and they confirm that the Western side was bad this year. Plus too many freaking people

 

[575cat]

Wyo was slim on snow this year .

 

[rivermobster]

I believe those numbers are comparing month to month average. March average could be 50", so 48" is only 96%. June Average might only be 10", so 48" is 480%.

Makes sense.

 

[rivermobster]

West vs East side of the Rockies, I have some friends that live in Denver and they confirm that the Western side was bad this year. Plus too many freaking people

Yeah, I have no clue what basin is where..

But if you scroll to the bottom, it's shows all of the basins.

Like I said, it's really hard to make sense of these numbers.

 

[grumpy88]

Until they stop building and control the massive influx of people in California, Phoenix and Vegas and the ever increasing utility rate, expect the water shortage to continue becoming a problem. As long as city planners continue issuing building permits, the water shortage is not a problem! How many massive housing developments and multi family apartment buildings do you see popping up everywhere? I'm not a tree hugger but, humans WILL fuck up this planet.

You stole my line ! Lol i agree 100 percent

 

[RiverDave]

I'm guessing the floods in Parker were in 1984 judging by those tables?

2019 looks like a banner year for snow fall in all the regions as well.. That is just skimming it.

RD

 

[78Southwind]

I'm guessing the floods in Parker were in 1984 judging by those tables?

2019 looks like a banner year for snow fall in all the regions as well.. That is just skimming it.

RD

That is kind of bizarre, I went straight to 1983 (Colorado Basin - Percent of Median Snowpack) and there is zero for June. We must be reading this wrong or something. The flood was in 1983.

Colorado River Flood of 1983

*EDIT*
Looks like a lot of the snowpack in 1983 melted during June maybe that's why there was zero?

FLOODS ALONG COLORADO RIVER SET OFF A DEBATE OVER BLAME

As of each Jan. 1, the bureau must have storage space in the system for at least 5.3 million acre feet of water. This year the bureau had more than 6 million acre feet in the system on Jan. 1, when it was expecting, based on longterm projections of weather patterns, a spring runoff of 7.8 million acre feet, slightly higher than average.

Those projections dropped by March 1 to 6.7 million acre feet, and Federal engineers reduced releases from the dams. As far downstream as Mohave Valley, there was so little water in the river last winter that residents say they could wade across barely knee-deep.

Even as recently as May 1, Federal engineers foresaw no problem, although they had resumed excess releases from Hoover Dam. With the shank of the snow season over in the high country, forecasters from the National Weather Service and the bureau were predicting a runoff only about 117 percent of normal.

Then a series of unusual storms in late May buffeted the Rockies, dramatically increasing the snowpack. A sudden warming trend followed near the end of May, and forecasters found themselves looking at a sudden surge in runoff, with no place to store it in downstream reservoirs. Double Usual Runoff Forecast

Between June 6 and June 28, forecasts of projected runoff jumped from 9.1 million acre feet to 14.6 million acre feet, which is 210 percent of normal.

 

[$hot]

http://snowpack.water-data.com/uppercolorado/index.php

 

[MSum661]

Yeah, I have no clue what basin is where..

But if you scroll to the bottom, it's shows all of the basins.

Like I said, it's really hard to make sense of these numbers.

Try scrolling down to the bottom of the page you posted and click "Historical Snowpack Percentage Time Series Bar Graphs" link.
Then Page down. In the "Basin" criteria box click "Total Colorado River Basin" , then click "Retrieve" for each month, then review each percentage for the year 2020.
That area for the most part would represent our region here on the Colorado River related to the 2020 snowpack melt.

Here are the results.

January: 78%
February: 72%
March: 84%
April: 90%
May: 69%
June: 62%

Clearly every month of snowpack for the "Total Colorado River basin" in 2020 was below average.

 

[WhatExit?]

One problem the world has is the population and its growth rate.

But have no fear, the government and the elites have an answer it’s called man-made viruses like COVID-19. Think about this as one of the reasons why Covid exists and was released onto the world.

If you don’t believe me look into Bill Gates and his ilk and the work they’ve done in Africa and other places and the harm they’ve done to poor people with their vaccinations and genetically modified foods. Killing off the weakest leaves the “best” sheep, in smaller numbers

 

[One Particular Harbor]

Good point about snowfall and snowpack on the Eastern and Western side of the Rockies.

We moved to Colorado this Winter and we had significant snowfall East of the Rockies this year, including one dump of about 30” in March and snow well into May. Enough to remove drought conditions from Fort Collins down to Pueblo, including most of Denver.

However, if you look at the drought data (https://www.drought.gov/states/colorado) for Colorado, you will see that most of the Western part of the state remains in severe to extreme drought conditions.

 

[DRYHEAT]

It would be interesting to see the statistics for how much water is being pumped out of the Colorado river over the last 40 years and how much the rates have increased. The problem is we are all living in a desert and have been trying to maintain it as a lush green tropical paradise.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

Those are percentages of average. June snowpack isn't very much, but a cool May will delay runoff into June, so the average snowpack could be higher.

The guys that took the readings used to go back to farming in June, so I doubt there is nearly the data versus the other months.

Having lived through the winters of the 80's and 90's in western Colorado, I can tell you there used to be more snow. But I've also read that the snowfall from the middle of the century to the year 2000 was above modeled averages from the past. In other words it was wetter, but the wetter weather was the anomaly and not the other way around.

 

[Flying_Lavey]

USGS has real time stream and river flow measurements available on their website. Its really cool to see when a storm rolls through different areas and how much water can really run through some of these tributaries.

 

[rivermobster]

It would be interesting to see the statistics for how much water is being pumped out of the Colorado river over the last 40 years and how much the rates have increased. The problem is we are all living in a desert and have been trying to maintain it as a lush green tropical paradise.

I'm sure they have, but, most users have not come close to the allocations they are entitled to.

Mexico banks most of their water, and I read the cuts that are coming next year are above the current usage that AZ and NV currently take.

That drought map is pretty telling. Along with some of the other posts here too.

With the exception of one or two.

 

[Flying_Lavey]

I'm sure they have, but, most users have not come close to the allocations they are entitled to.

Mexico banks most of their water, and I read the cuts that are coming next year are above the current usage that AZ and NV currently take.

That drought map is pretty telling. Along with some of the other posts here too.

With the exception of one or two.

I just read that Tucson is one of the last areas to receive water cuts from the Colorado. Phoenix gets the first cuts followed by a couple tribal nations, then Tucson. I didn't realize it was all broken down to that extent.

 

[Familyties]

Government has proven to really bad at math, stats, and counting.....

 

[DRYHEAT]

I'm sure they have, but, most users have not come close to the allocations they are entitled to.

Mexico banks most of their water, and I read the cuts that are coming next year are above the current usage that AZ and NV currently take.

That drought map is pretty telling. Along with some of the other posts here too.

With the exception of one or two.

I guess I’ll have to buy a rollbar boat and fill the ballast tanks before I trailer so I can steal California‘s water. I guess I better buy the triple axle .

 

[buck35]

I just read that Tucson is one of the last areas to receive water cuts from the Colorado. Phoenix gets the first cuts followed by a couple tribal nations, then Tucson. I didn't realize it was all broken down to that extent.

Do you know all not realize you lived in the middle of a desert ?

 

[Flying_Lavey]

Do you know all not realize you lived in the middle of a desert ?

And? Did you not all realize the Colorado River flows through the desert?

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

 

[JB in so cal]

The following list includes the new dams, storage tanks and desalination plants constructed in the last 5 years:

1)

 

[DRYHEAT]

Do you know all not realize you lived in the middle of a desert ?

Isn’t where you live considered desert up there?

 

[rivermobster]

I guess I’ll have to buy a rollbar boat and fill the ballast tanks before I trailer so I can steal California‘s water. I guess I better buy the triple axle .

Water is fine. Just don't take any snow.

 

[lantz]

So, If you're going to leave CA, please move further east than AZ, NM, UT, NV, or CO.

 

[RCDave]

How much water would have been stored if lefist failed california government would have spent budgeted money on the dam for maintenance?

Voting conswquences 101

 

[rmarion]

Hhhmmmm

2000 miles from Cali to the Mississippi River...

How much $$$$$ has been spent on the Bullet train or Covid relief....

sounds to me like they don't want to actually FIX the FING problem

Its really not that Hard...

Unless you're a F.ing Liberal with your head up your ASS

 

[rivermobster]

How much water would have been stored if lefist failed california government would have spent budgeted money on the dam for maintenance?

Voting conswquences 101

And, the left wants all the Existing dams torn down!

How does that even make sense?

Maybe @RodnJen or @squeezer can explain how everyone will live with no water? This could be interesting.

 

[RodnJen]

And, the left wants all the Existing dams torn down!

How does that even make sense?

Maybe @RodnJen or @squeezer can explain how everyone will live with no water? This could be interesting.

Just like we want open borders.

 

[RCDave]

Just like we want open borders.

You get what YOU vote for

 

[Flying_Lavey]

Hhhmmmm

2000 miles from Cali to the Mississippi River...

How much $$$$$ has been spent on the Bullet train or Covid relief....

sounds to me like they don't want to actually FIX the FING problem

Its really not that Hard...

Unless you're a F.ing Liberal with your head up your ASS

View attachment 1040244

Or even closer resources like the Columbia or Roque rivers to the north. Just have to tie into the Aqueduct.

 

[rivermobster]

Just like we want open borders.

That answers the question nicely...

Right outa squeezers play book. Just change the subject, and move on.

How about you give it another shot??

 

[regor]

As millions flow into our country illegally through open borders....................they tell you to conserve water.

Snowpack is not the problem.

 

[Racer56]

Hhhmmmm

2000 miles from Cali to the Mississippi River...

How much $$$$$ has been spent on the Bullet train or Covid relief....

sounds to me like they don't want to actually FIX the FING problem

Its really not that Hard...

Unless you're a F.ing Liberal with your head up your ASS

View attachment 1040244

The Missouri River is only 400 miles from the headwaters of the Colorado river.

 

[Flying_Lavey]

The Missouri River is only 400 miles from the headwaters of the Colorado river.

Yup, and ONLY 10,500 feet lower.......

 

[rivermobster]

Yup, and ONLY 10,500 feet lower.......

Beat me to it!