Record dry year in making
Only 3.26 inches of moisture at DIA this year
By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published July 10, 2008 at 9:25 a.m.
Updated July 11, 2008 at 7:28 a.m.
Photo by Photos By Chris Schneider / The Rocky
Denver Water employee John Aguilar takes a picture of a sprinkler running illegally between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. in the heat of the day Thursday. He will enter information on the water violation into a laptop computer and give the homeowner a warning.
Holy Mojave, 2008 is shaping up to be the driest year in Denver's history.
The official weather site at Denver International Airport recorded just 3.26 inches of precipitation by Wednesday, National Weather Service hydrometeorologist Frank Benton said.
That's a third less than the record set in the drought year of 2002, when 4.65 inches of precipitation was recorded by July 9.
The 2002 year total of 7.48 inches of precipitation stands as the driest on record, dating back to 1872.
The fact that many areas of the central and northern mountains had a good snow year is saving metro Denver from the serious consequences of a drought, Benton said. "That will fill up the reservoirs."
Reservoirs on the South Platte River system are at 87 percent of their historical average, and those on the Arkansas River are at 84 percent, said Mike Gillespie, snow survey supervisor for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Water storage on the Western Slope is more than 100 percent of average.
The low readings can be somewhat misleading because DIA is east of most of metro Denver's population and doesn't always get the same weather.
For example, during the big rainstorm of June 5, DIA recorded just .57 of an inch, but many areas of Denver and the suburbs recorded well over an inch.
Still, it's been very dry all along the Front Range and the plains.
"You can't blame it on La Nina because our mountains have gotten hammered," Benton said. "It's just a lack of systems that came through. The systems that did come through were generally dry.
"We hear the thunder and see the lightning, but no moisture comes with it."
Each month of 2008 has had less than half the long-term average moisture. July has had .22 of an inch of rain. The average through July 9 is .59 of an inch.
April was at one-fifth of average, and March was one-sixth of average.
There was almost no moisture at all in January, when DIA recorded just .18 of an inch of precipitation.
People are conserving
Metro water officials are singing the praises of their customers, saying that despite the current heat wave, people are remembering the conservation lessons of 2002.
Prior to 2002, Denver Water's 1 million or so customers typically used 450 million to 500 million gallons on a hot, dry summer day, spokeswoman Stacy Chesney said.
The record was 553 million gallons set on July 6, 1989.
This year's peak usage day was June 30, at 397 million gallons.
During the Fourth of July weekend, usage topped out at 373 million gallons.
Typically, 10 inches of snow equals about 1 inch of precipitation in Denver's climate.
Most of the water Front Range residents depend on for showers and lawn sprinkling comes from the melting snow working its way through reservoirs.
Snowpack was very close to average along the Front Range this spring, Gillespie said.
"It was the best year we've had since 1987," Gillespie said, referring to the snowpack.
The plains are hurting from the lack of rain, Benton said. Besides not getting enough water on the farms, "they've had quite a bit of hail out there," he noted. "Luckily, we've missed out on the big hail here. I just don't know how they survive out there."
He asked one longtime eastern Colorado farmer that question. "She said, 'We're just spending our savings and hoping next year will be better.' "
Temperature fairly normal
Some farms near Lamar, Holly and Rocky Ford are struggling because of the lack of rain, he said.
"They got a good runoff from the headwaters of the Arkansas, but that doesn't help the dryland farms," which don't have access to the groundwater or river water, he said.
The farms in northeastern Colorado are faring better.
While it's shaping up to be a record dry year, 2008 has had fairly typical temperatures, just a little bit cooler than average.
June felt nice and mild for many people along the Front Range but actually was just two-tenths of a degree cooler than normal - an average daily temperature (not the high or the low) of 67.4 degrees, compared with the typical 67.6 degrees.
scanlon@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2897
Denver's driest
The 15 years with the least precipitation, dating to 1872:
Inches of rain Year
7.48 2002
7.51 1954
7.58 1939
7.75 1911
8.45 1962
8.48 1893
8.93 1934
9.03 1943
9.10 1901
9.12 1930
9.24 1917
9.33 1890, 1899
9.50 1903
9.51 1888
* Average inches: 15.81
* Record inches (1967): 23.31
* Inches this year so far: 3.26
Ways to water wisely
Native plants have evolved to handle sweltering summers, but most of the plants and grasses decorating area homes come from less harsh environments. Here are some tips for making your out-of-state plants feel at home while staying mindful of drought conditions:
* Optimize your watering
Denver Water lays out strict usage rules each year. From May 1 to Sept. 1, the city bans watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., and you can water only three times a week, with some exceptions.
So how do you optimize your watering schedule?
"You want to try to water in the mornings rather than in the evenings," said Christine Hise, a manager at Nick's Garden Center in Aurora. Water applied early in the morning will evaporate as the day passes, which eliminates the danger of fungi and insect infestations.
Heat can turn Kentucky bluegrass dormant, making lawns brown, said Kelly Grummons, co-owner and chief horticulturist at Timberline Gardens in Lakewood.
Most people try to overcompensate by watering more, but in fact, Grummons said, they are only flushing nutrients from the soil. The lawn will regain its color after the heat subsides, Grummons said.
"The main thing is to water deeply," Grummons said, recommending a thorough soaking a couple of times a week instead of a little bit every day.
* Plan well!
As Colorado's population grows, the amount of water available for landscaping is going to decrease. Planning a water-friendly garden becomes essential, experts say.
Applying mulch to gardens helps preserve moisture as well, and maintaining rich soil will help plants retain their vigor, said Colorado State University professor Jim Klett.
* Stay true to your roots
A healthy root system means a healthy lawn.
An abundance of water prevents roots from growing deep into the soil, which, in turn, trains the grass to need lots of water.
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July 10, 2008
12:50 p.m.
Suggest removal
ISKIFREELY writes:
Its all George Bush and Dicke Cheney's fault. Abortion doctors and liberals too! Blame everyone! The sky is falling! Or not.
July 10, 2008
1:15 p.m.
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SockRayBlue writes:
Hey! Where are all those dams that have been built? What? Those wacky environmentalists. Are most of then Californians? Oops.
July 10, 2008
1:37 p.m.
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kodijack writes:
Denver Water makes all of the money. I wonder if they are saving it for a year that the mountains go through a drought so that they do not have raise rates when the level of water usage drops. Anyone want to wager?
July 10, 2008
2:08 p.m.
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KW writes:
Driest year ever? I didn't know we'd been keeping track of rainfall here for last 4 billion years.
July 10, 2008
2:51 p.m.
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dilligaf writes:
The only thing missing here is Marinegrunt and company crying that the Democrats are going come to Denver and drink and use up all our water. Come boy's your laying down.
July 10, 2008
2:53 p.m.
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Monica030 writes:
Yeah great headline!
July 10, 2008
2:54 p.m.
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pwern writes:
The operative words to pay attention to here can be found in the first sentence: "Shaping up to be". It's only the first week of July! Last time I checked, that's the seventh month out of, um, twelve. Right now, we could have a wet Fall and end up being near the WETTEST year on record.
These freakin' people can't predict with any accuracy what the weather is going to be next week. What makes them think they can prognosticate a half-year into the future and say with any certainty whatsoever what the final rainfall is going to be?
Given the drive-by nature of the mainstream media, I'm sure this is already getting blamed on global warming. If we get 20" in the next six months and finish as the wettest year, they'll find some way to blame that on global warming as well.
July 10, 2008
3:52 p.m.
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unhyphenated writes:
This is no time for dry humor.
July 10, 2008
3:58 p.m.
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temurlan writes:
Democrats are going come to Denver and drink and use up all our water.
July 10, 2008
4:05 p.m.
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Oroboros writes:
Just a reminder to everyone - it is still illegal (and very foolish) to dispose of your cigarette butts on the ground.
The penalties include a jail sentence of 3-12 months, and a fine of $250 to $1,000.
I've seen several people do this in the last few weeks. Apparently, we need more articles like this to remind folks we are in a drought.
Also kudos to the local police who've made extremely large fireworks busts this year.
July 10, 2008
4:13 p.m.
Suggest removal
Diff writes:
Basic Science says- the readings have to be at or as close to the same location to be comparable. DIA is about 10 miles further east and north - and about 50% further east of the foot hills (west of Denver) the elevation is several 100 ft different as well, and the terrain plays a part as well The readings at DIA - compared to the old Weather station on the north east corner of Stapleton (near I70 and Quebec) are not valid comparsions! Why could the NWS not just maintained a weather station in the same area as the old Station? All it takes these days is some instruments on a pole a solar panel and some type of radio or cell link for the data.
July 10, 2008
5:05 p.m.
Suggest removal
wow writes:
Kool-Aid must be mixed with water in order to drink it.
Studies indicate that the amount of water needed to serve Kool-Aid to every one is so great as to be environmentally unfeasable.
Any more great ideas?
July 10, 2008
6:10 p.m.
Suggest removal
HolierThanThou writes:
Ignorant quote from shaggy:
"The enviros were able to put the kabash on it because it might change the living patterns of a little fish called a "snail darter" its about an inch long."
Snail darters are only found in Eastern Tennessee.
The Two Forks Dam would have inundated Deckers and wiped out Gold Medal Trout fishing along both North and South Forks of the South Platte River.
The geology of that region is dubious at best for situating a dam and reservoir. The mountains are primarily made of decomposing feldspathic granite. Loose material like that will collapse into the reservoir when it is filled with water. That will make the reservoir increasingly shallow as it fills with sediment. Evaporative loss will then waste water that would otherwise flow through the river and adjacent aquifers.
But at least now we can say: global warming passes the look-out-the-window test!
July 10, 2008
6:23 p.m.
Suggest removal
R8R_H8R writes:
I LOVE it when republican retards comment. It really puts on display just how stupid they are. Keep it up!
July 10, 2008
6:39 p.m.
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SockRayBlue writes:
Shaggy
I was all in favor of that dam. Who really sees or goes into that part of the mountains? Three, maybe four tree hugger's? Denver was/is growing like a SOB and I'm a bit spoiled about drinking. It has been a habit since birth. I happen to like Northglenn's chlorine flavored water. When I take a shower it smells exactly like the pool in the backyard. Yummee!
July 10, 2008
6:41 p.m.
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nowhearthis writes:
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm! Feldspaaaaaathic Granite! By the way, that's like saying wet water.
July 10, 2008
6:46 p.m.
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freedomfighter1 writes:
Did anyone notice that the guy in the pic has a bag of dogsh$t he has right under his nose?
July 10, 2008
6:52 p.m.
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freedomfighter1 writes:
Ok, never mind i guess I was seeing stuff
July 10, 2008
7:07 p.m.
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gkh writes:
the photo of Cranmer park is misleading. The parks irrigation system is being replaced and the grass has not been watered all year. However, that's what it would look like if Denver Water had to stop irrigating parks...
July 10, 2008
7:10 p.m.
Suggest removal
solar_satellite writes:
Denver Water shouldn't be so quick to praise its customers' efforts at conservation. I routinely see both private and public entities watering the sidewalks and streets.
Deranged Posters: Yet again, neither Al Gore nor Hillary are involved -- there are drugs which might help curb your obsessive thinking; consult a psychiatrist.
July 10, 2008
7:30 p.m.
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me2 writes:
Ah, yes. The High Plains Snail Darter.
July 11, 2008
5:22 a.m.
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windbourne writes:
Hmmmm. Ritter had an opportunity to increase water savings via chatfield. It requires a 1-2 million dollar study. The feds decided to save a bit of money and nixed it. And Ritter is not willing to pay it.
Ritter, Owens was a lout. He stunk as a gov BECAUSE he ignored infrastructure. You are slowly but surely going down the same path.
You were suppose to use the increase tax money on that. This is INFRASTRUCTURE. Water is important here. And yet, you ignore it.
To the ppl working on Ritter's staff who read our posts, I have a suggestion:
Start THINKING.
July 11, 2008
7:29 a.m.
Suggest removal
Oroboros writes:
^ Do you people even bother reading the news?
http://www.greenprintdenver.org/envir...
This isn't a brand new initiative, and both the RMN and DP have covered it before.
July 11, 2008
7:51 a.m.
Suggest removal
Oroboros writes:
:@
My bad. Denver != Colorado
That's what I get posting before coffee.
July 11, 2008
8:06 a.m.
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jackson_foi writes:
At last.
The problem with talking current precipitation statistics from DIA with historical, is that the data source has moved to Kansas. The current Denver climate normal is the 30 year period from 1971 to 2000. That would be composed of 25 years at Stapleton, and 5 at KIA. It seems to me that the it never rains only at the new airport, so the precipitation there must be less than in town.
If we are to get to 15.81 inches average for the decade from 2001 to 2010, then the precipitation for the remaining years (with 2008 at 7.5), would have to be 31.25. Or, if the next two years are average, then the decade average will be 12.7, which will drop the 30 year average by an inch.
I think the the temperature data for comparative purposes was wacked by 4 degrees to accommodate the move. But the precipitation data was left unchanged because "there shouldn't be much difference". Perhaps Denver Water with its continuous record of local measurements would share the data with us so that the comparison with historical would be more meaningful.
July 11, 2008
9:21 a.m.
Suggest removal
280Pagoda writes:
When the first Spanish and European settlers came to what the Spanish would later call Colorado, the natives warned them this area to the east of the foothills got sparse rainfall. "Not enough rain to sustain a village" is a quote that comes to mind.
Now, today we can confirm the Denver area is still, without a doubt, a semi-arid region.
Which brings to mind another quote: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" - George Santayana
July 11, 2008
10 a.m.
homeradam writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
July 11, 2008
10:35 a.m.
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Konyok writes:
The obstacle to two forks dam was an endangered butterfly, the Pawnee Montane Skimmer.
July 11, 2008
11:25 a.m.
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tjpatriot writes:
After a small amount of layman-level research, I found several interesting things:
You can go to wunderground.com and look up yearly rainfall by zip code. Although there appeared to be anomalies in their data, Aurora, Denver, and Golden appeared about normal. Boulder appeared low, and Colorado Springs appeared high. Sterling/Ft.Morgan appeared way high. This corresponds with the fact that just about every time I look at the news/weather, that area to the northeast is getting hammered.
On another website I found a gradiated map showing the average rainfall for Colorado. Indeed, the area of DIA appears towards the drier area than Stapleton would be. This would seem to validate the notion stated earlier that DIA readings SHOULD be less than the historical readings taken at Stapleton.
On yet another website, I found a general statement regarding rainfall in Colorado: "Year-to year variation in precipitation is the rule for Colorado."
Given the above information, I have several question for the RMN. Is it possible that you would run with a story like this, using one grain of information with no additional research and extrapolating it wildly? Or, do you feel it is your job to be the "Chicken Little" for the people of Colorado? Or, is it possible you are willing to take any grain of information that would in any way vaguely support a Global Warming agenda, and blow it up into a story? So, the choices I can come up with are either: you are incompetent; you see your job as the "Chicken Little"; or you are a tool for the Global Warming agenda.
I'm trying to think of another explanation.
!!!HOLY MOHAVE!!!
July 11, 2008
12:40 p.m.
Suggest removal
jackson_foi writes:
The gas companies made the investment in and have been using underground storage forever to store the excess production in the Summer, and augment supply in the Winter. It is what allows continuous production to meet seasonal demand, and is also the basis for proposing water storage projects. Why wouldn't the water companies want to do something similar?
Perhaps it is easier to say "Plan well, as Colorado's population grows, the amount of water available for landscaping is going to decrease. Planning a water-friendly garden becomes essential, experts say", and pass the responsibility to the consumer.
We wouldn't accept "plan your evening well, it is going to be dark tonight".
July 11, 2008
1:12 p.m.
Suggest removal
HolierThanThou writes:
Geology note: when granite is mostly composed of feldspar it is called feldspathic granite.
Other types of granite include graphic granite, talcose granite (used to make porcelain clay), and syenitic granite. These also contain quartz and other minerals in various portions.
Feldspathic granite is pink. The Rocky Mountains of Colorado have regions that are full of it. The region around Deckers is one. The slopes there are largely covered in decomposing feldspathic granite.
I know there are a lot of you who don't get out much. Having hiked that area a number of times, I have observed the surface composition of the mountains. A dam at Deckers might look good on a map but I reckon that it would fill with much loose feldspathic gravel sediment in a few decades.
Had they built the Two Forks Dam in the early 1980s, it would be so full of sediment by now that engineers would be working full time and spending billions of dollars to fix that problem. What do you reckon they would do? Pave concrete to hold the mountainsides from collapsing around the entire reservoir? Run a permanent dredge? That seems like an awful waste, especially to those of us who enjoy the taste of fresh trout.
Denver would do better to quit wasting so much water. The climate is semi-arid. Try growing things that thrive in a semi-arid climate. Use more efficient toilets and don't flush them so much: if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down. And quit watering the sidewalks.
July 11, 2008
1:19 p.m.
Suggest removal
jay writes:
you got it tj...we're not having our driest year ever...it's just a conspiracy by those wacko environmentalists...
lol
July 11, 2008
1:32 p.m.
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nogreenie writes:
I am a retired meteorologist and I have long had a quarrel with the Denver NWS (headquartered in Boulder)for them using precipitation data recorded at DIA to be included in official Denver record extremes that go back to 1872. DIA is 20 miles northeast of downtown Denver, and the site distinctly has a drier microclimate than the city of Denver and suburbs.
For example, and this happens every year, compare DIA's Jan-Jun 2008 total of 3.04" to other six-month totals this year at various cooperative weather stations around the area:
Boulder: 9.48"; 7News (downtown): 5.60"; Wheatridge: 5.25" ; Denver Water(near downtown): 5.21"; Parker: 5.11"; Northglenn: 5.01".
The bottom line here, and state climatologist Nolan Doesken strongly agrees, is that it is climatologically absurd for the Denver NWS to combine 120+ years of city of Denver precipitation records (1872-1995; downtown and Stapleton), with 12+ years of DIA records--for the purposes of valid normals and record extremes. Simply bad weather science.
July 11, 2008
2:10 p.m.
Suggest removal
COLibertarian writes:
Holier
Are you then approving the removal of Cheeseman Res as it too has the same geological components? I think the Hayman and Schoonover fires lend to more erosion and filling of our CURRENT dams than anything. The actual dam would be about 6-8 miles north of Deckers correct? With a water covering back south of the old HorseCreek Camp and bar location. Some estimates that water would move south to WestCreek area.
July 11, 2008
2:35 p.m.
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Konyok writes:
nogreenie,
Would you have the same reservations about temperature observations?
July 11, 2008
2:38 p.m.
Suggest removal
WillyNilly writes:
Let's try to get this right.
The Snail Darter delayed Tellico dam in Tennesee. Eventually it was indeed built though.
The Pawnee Montane Skipper butterfly was the environmental show-stopper for Two Forks Dam, although the EPA cited various reasons including the butterfly.
Two Forks Dam was not going to be built at Deckers. It was going to be built at the confluence of the North Fork of the South Platte and the main South Platte river, quite a few miles downstream from Deckers, at the head of Waterton Canyon...hence the name Two Forks.
For those that don't know, the North Fork of the South Platte gets most of it's water from a tunnel connecting it to Dillon reservoir. So Two Forks would have been able to draw water from east-slope snowpack via the main stem of the South Platte, as well as west-slope snowpack from Dillon through the North Fork. Very logical location that could utilize snowpack from both sides of the divide since one side often gets more than the other.
Thousands of people utilize the South Platte valley that would have been flooded by Two Forks, it has been a very popular fishery for many years as well as for picnicking, hiking, swimming, tubing, etc. A road runs along it's entire length, hardly an isolated area. That's why the dam was so controversial.
As for the geology of the area, that did not stop them from building Cheesman reservior in 1909, upstream from Deckers. It's still there and still provides much of Denver's water storage so that says something about the geology being poor for dam building. It did get a large amount of granite gravel washed into it many times after the Hayman fire ravaged the watershed, but not before.
OK, now you can go back to your regularly scheduled comments based on little knowledge of the facts of the matter at hand...
July 11, 2008
3:53 p.m.
Suggest removal
jackson_foi writes:
Jay, I don't know if were are having our driest year ever. What we do know is that DIA is having its driest year since 2000. And what that means to Denver we can't know without a proxy for Stapleton, say Denver Water, and they aren't sharing.
July 15, 2008
12:22 p.m.
Suggest removal
carlindenver writes:
DIA WEATHER:
THANKS FOR "SOME VERY INFORMATIVE FACTS!!" TO ADD MY PART- DIA HAS NO SNOW(PRECIPITATION),COLLECTING/MEASURING DEVICES. DIA GETS ITS SNOW INFORMATION FROM STAPLETON. DIA IS WASTE OF TIME. WHY USE THEIR DATA WHEN IT IS 15-20 MILES EAST OF DENVER? DIA DATA USED TO EQUATE TO DENVER STAPLETON? DIA HAS NO STATE OF THE ART SNOW/PRECIPITATION DEVICES?? USING DIA'S DATA IS OBSCENE AND DISHONEST.