We don’t know how much snow has fallen on each and every acre of land this year, but we have a good idea of the big picture from cumulative precipitation measured at weather stations, SNOTEL sites, and in citizen scientists’ backyards across Ouray County. Cumulative precipitation ranges from some 7 inches down low in Ridgway to 23 inches at the top of Red Mountain Pass since last October 1st, which was the beginning of the water year.
Has all of this rain and snow led to big flows in the Uncompahgre River?
The flows are starting to increase, but bigger flows are ahead this spring. The river’s flows are typically lowest in the winter because most snow at higher elevations doesn’t run off the land immediately; it builds up into a snowpack until melting begins in the spring. While a lot of water runs off the surface making its way into channels, streams, and finally the Uncompahgre River, thirsty plants and soils take up most of the melted water and rain that falls. Some evaporates and some goes to deeper groundwater.
Below: National Weather Service 2023 Water Year cumulative precipitation graph for Ridgway. Link to climate data
So, even though precipitation is the ultimate source of the river’s water, it’s not a clearcut, immediate connection to the level of streamflow, especially in winter. But a dry year will have less flow, a wet year more flow. It’s the when, where, and how much detail that are wildcards dealt to the watershed.
Below: USGS stream gauge data showing streamflow measured near Ridgway for the 2023 water year. Link to gage data
