COLORADO SPRINGS — Colorado’s snowpack numbers are dropping quickly and to a level well below normal for this time of year.. “We’re definitely seeing that we’re going to have a decreased run-off this year,” said Colorado Springs Utilities, Water Planning Supervisor, Kalsoum Abbasi.
The snowpack is tracked closely because it melts and becomes Colorado’s water supply. It was close to normal a couple months back. Now the Arkansas River Basin is down to nearly 30% of what is normal for this time of year. The Colorado River Basin is at 70% of normal.
There is another out of the ordinary element with the shrinking snow pack. “It’s not making it to the river.,” said Abbasi, “So, it’s either going into the soil, maybe to replenish some of those dry soils, or it’s being blown away in these really heavy winds that we’ve had.” Steams and rivers are running well below normal levels.
It is an issue that needs to be tracked. Because of Colorado’s network of reservoirs, water stored from more plentiful years means there is enough to off-set the situation at least for this year.
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