NWS Monthly Hydrology Report, Lamar Water Storage Report

Temperatures for June were generally two to six degrees above average across southeast Colorado.  The Primary Observation sites at Pueblo, Colorado Springs and Alamosa were 3.9, 6.1 and 2.0 degrees above average respectively. 

Precipitation was generally well below average in July.  Pueblo was 0.53 inches below average, Colorado Springs was off 2.08 inches and Alamosa was 0.59 inches off. 

Snowpack in the mountains melted out completely at all the automated snow measuring sites in June.  However, some snow remained at the highest elevations, especially across the central mountains. 

Streamflow was generally near average at the end of June, except for some above-average flows in the Arkansas Basin due to ongoing high elevation snowmelt.  Soil moisture was below average.  Reservoir storage was also below average with the Arkansas Basin reporting 77% of average storage overall.  The Lamar City Water Engineer report indicates 134 acre feet of the city’s carryover Project water was released in June, from Pueblo Reservoir for recharge of the Clay Creek well field.  2,706 acre feet of carryover Project Water remains in Pueblo Reservoir, as well as the 1,600 acre feet allocated in May, for 2011.  Staff stopped deliveries of Project Water May 7, when the runoff began, and will start using project water again later in the season. 

The outlook for July, August and September from the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, indicates that temperatures will most likely be above average while precipitation has equal chances of being at, above, or below average.