Associated Press

DENVER — A day after the entire state was declared a disaster area because of drought, the snowpack in several parts of Colorado registered zero.

Most of the dwindling snow banks left above the river basins melted in the past two weeks.

"In an average year, they'd melt out in July sometime," said Mike Gillespie of the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service, which monitors snowpack and river levels in the West. "This is really an indication of how early we began to melt out, and that we were starting from such a low level to begin with."

Snowpack monitors on Friday showed nothing left in several river basins, including the Gunnison, Arkansas, Upper Rio Grande and all the basins in southwestern Colorado.

Only three basins have snow left, with the South Platte basin at 2 percent of average and only 10 percent of what it had in 2001, another dry year; the North Platte at 8 percent of historic average and 45 percent of last year; and the Yampa/White at 7 percent of average and 30 percent of last year.

That reduces the statewide average to 2 percent of normal and only 8 percent of last year.

The snowpack percentage is measured against a 30-year average. Melting snow contributes about 80 percent of the water in rivers, streams, lakes and reservoirs, which comprise much of the state's water supply. Eight major Colorado river systems also provide water to 10 western states.

All of Colorado has been designated a federal disaster area because of the ongoing drought. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman on Thursday added 58 counties to Kit Carson and Phillips counties, which were already on the list.

Clear Creek, Denver, Gilpin and San Juan counties also were on previous lists.

June 3, 2002

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