The user will need to file for a water right with the water court to make the water right absolute. A user must submit a Notice of Intent To Make Absolute form to the County and SWCD to specify anticipated depletive amounts and intended use. The decree in 06CW127 specifies uses and accompanying amounts which are eligible for receiving a portion of the water right. Increments of this water right may be decreed to users as absolute and senior to the RICD. 06CW127, La Plata County and the Southwestern Water Conservation District (“SWCD”) obtained a decree for a conditional water right with depletive flow rates ranging from 20 to 40 cfs depending on the time of year. Joint La Plata County and SWCD Water Right (06CW127) 06CW99 includes the Animas Valley planning district in La Plata County upstream of the RICD. Upon receiving County approval, the approved portion of the 06CW99 conditional water right will be deeded to the water user with the expectation that the water right will be confirmed by decree in water court. Applications may accompany land use applications, or may be submitted to receive a water right separate from the land use process. The decree in 06CW99 specifies uses and accompanying amounts which are eligible for receiving a portion of the water right.
06CW99, La Plata County holds a conditional water right to deplete up to 6 cfs on the Animas River mainstem, 1 cfs on Junction Creek and 2 cfs on Lightner Creek of which portions may be decreed to users as absolute and senior to the RICD after being developed and put to use. Water users still need to obtain a decree for their water right from the Division 7 Water Court as with any other water right. “But right now, we’re doing pretty well.Water users upstream of the City of Durango’s proposed water park in the Animas River drainage may obtain water rights that have priority over the recreational in-channel diversion (RICD) water right obtained by the City in 2007.įour water court cases make it possible for individuals to perfect water rights after the creation of the Durango RICD and avoid a “call” on their water by the RICD in the event of a shortage of water. “Looking at the horizon, without significant precipitation, it’s likely inevitable (to enact water restrictions),” Biggs said. The city is now on an operating schedule, drawing 2 million to 3 million gallons of water out of the Animas every other day. The city of Durango gets most of its water from the Florida River, supplementing with water out of the Animas when necessary.
Animas river cfs full#
Jarrod Biggs, the city of Durango’s assistant utilities director, said the city’s reservoir is at full capacity after having to pump out of the Animas River in May, about a month ahead of schedule. The Animas River usually peaks at about 4,700 cfs in early June.įor the most part, the city of Durango has gotten by through the low water year without having to implement water restrictions. The Animas River saw its third lowest peak flow in recorded history, and one of its earliest, hitting a high of about 1,000 cfs in May. 1, a weather station at the Durango-La Plata County Airport has received only 2.25 inches of rain, nearly 4 inches below the historic average.Īnd then, abnormally high temperatures caused what little snowpack was in the San Juans to melt early. In the San Juan Mountains, the peak of the snowpack was only half of what the region usually receives based on more than 100 years of records.Įxtreme drought persisted into spring and summer. It all started this winter with a dreadful snowpack. The sight of the Animas River barely reaching its confluence with the San Juan River is just another display of this year’s unprecedented drought, which is on track to be the second driest year in 120 years of recorded history. “It’s not absolutely 0, but it’s awfully close, and probably not going to improve until we start seeing rainfall in the area,” Smith said. While the gauging station may be recording 0 cfs, there is some water in channels away from the gauge, said Greg Smith, a senior hydrologist for the Colorado River Basin Forecast Center. Geological Survey gauge in Farmington, the Animas River hit 0 cubic feet per second this week and has remained at near flat-line levels ever since.Ĭubic feet per second – or “cfs” – is the way river flow is measured. The Animas River has all but dried up in Farmington.Īccording to a U.S. The river was actually measured at 5 cubic feet per second – still near historic lows.
Geological Survey said it erroneously reported the Animas River flowing at 0 cubic feet per second this week in Farmington. Editor’s note: After this story published, the U.S.
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