Western Colorado vs. Eastern Colorado Where does your water go? Constance L. Danner 29 November 2005

Outline Objectives Background Data Sources Map Creation Analysis Future Work Questions

Objectives Become familiar with Arc Hydro by plotting the Colorado Headwaters and Big Thompson Watersheds. Evaluate the precipitation, stream flow and snow depth in regards to the Continental Divide.

The West vs. The East South Platte River Basin Colorado River Basin

How are they connected? Map of Colorado-Big Thompson Project

Colorado-Big Thompson (C-BT) Project by the Numbers 30 The number of cities and towns served by the C-BT Project 693,000 The number of acres irrigated by C-BT water in northeastern Colorado 12 The number of reservoirs in the system 35 The miles of tunnels in the system 95 The miles of canals in the C-BT system 700The miles of transmission lines 310,000 The number of acre foot units of water in the C-BT Project 213,000 The approximate number of acre feet delivered annually through the system 1.6 millionThe number of acres in the Project's service area 1The number of acre feet of water that an average urban family of five requires annually 13.1 The length in miles of the Alva B. Adams Tunnel 9.9The circumference in feet of the tunnel 12The number of people appointed to serve on the NCWCD Board of Directors $1.50The original cost, per acre-foot unit, for C-BT water when applications were first accepted in $1,254.30The amount paid in 1943 to have a movie, "Green Fields," made about C-BT construction 1/16th of an inchThe difference between the center line from the west and the one from the east when the Adams Tunnel was holed through

Data Sources Hydrologic Unit Maps (HUC) – National Atlas of the United States – DEM Data from EPA Water Science Websites – / / – / / National Resources Conservation Services for Colorado – NNDC Climate Data Online –

Area of Interest

DEM Processing

What Time Frame to Choose? Missouri Basin Drought Data Upper Colorado Drought Data

Average Annual Stream Flow

Average Annual SNOTEL Data

Average Annual Precipitation Data

Precipitation vs. Elevation

Future Work Final Paper and Analysis