April, 1, 2004
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DENVER - Ski areas closing early. Wildfire evacuations in March. Wheat farmers facing disaster. Spring in Colorado is shaping up like the record drought year of 2002 and officials say it could be even worse.

‘‘At this time two years ago it wasn’t nearly as dry as it is now,’’ said Larry Helmerick of the multiagency Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center fire cache in Lakewood. ‘‘We’re hoping with April and May we get some spring moisture. That’s not what we’re seeing right now.’’

Wildfires are popping up around the state, including one northwest of Fort Collins that forced evacuations early Wednesday. It has put a burden on local firefighters because federal resources aren’t usually mobilized until June.

The statewide snowpack - the key source of water used all summer long - stood at just 72 percent of the 30-year average Wednesday.

In the South Platte River basin, a major water source for the populous Denver area, the figure was just 62 percent

Water restrictions are looming again for millions of people along the Front Range. And according to the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Neb., drought will get worse across much of eastern and southern Colorado this year.

Assistant state climatologist Nolan Doesken said the state got more snow this year than in 2002, but reservoir levels are below what they were that spring.

That means if April is hot and dry, the state could be in even worse shape than it was in 2002, though the odds of that are just one in 20, Doesken said.

‘‘We did accumulate a higher peak of snowpack than we did in 2002,’’ said Mike Gillespie, state snow surveyor for the federal Natural Resources and Conservation Service. ‘‘So we have more snow in place statewide than we did in 2002, so it is not quite as bad. But it’s not good.’’

And not just in the mountains.

Rainfall since Sept. 1 is 38 percent below average for wheat-producing districts in eastern Colorado, said Gail Martell, owner of Martell Crop Projections.

In these areas, conditions are even drier than two years ago, when statewide drought conditions were the worst on record and the largest wildfire in Colorado history swept through the mountains southwest of Denver.

‘‘Growers much decide to wait for showers and hope for improvement or plow under poor-looking wheat and collect insurance,’’ Martell said. She said destroying wheat is a difficult decision because the grain is drawing high prices.

The Colorado ski industry is in better shape, though at least one resort, Sunlight, closed early and others, including Aspen Highlands, have closed down runs. Most resorts got enough snow for the busy holiday periods.

Early snowmelt could also imperil the rafting and fishing industries, as well as allow soil to dry out before summer rains. Officials are also worried about the state’s sprawling forests, much of which is tinder dry.

At the fire cache, Helmerick said ominous signs began showing up weeks ago.

‘‘We had a 20-acre fire at 9,800 feet in Teller County that burned everything to ash,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s extreme for this type of year. Usually, that sort of area would be nothing but snow. We’ve had dry lightning start fires. That’s unusual for this time of year.’’

He said above-average fire danger is forecast for much of eastern Colorado in April. He urged residents who live near stands of trees to trim shrubs and other potentially lethal fire fuel.

‘‘If you live in the urban interface and you’re a homeowner, please work on fire suppression,’’ he said. ‘‘Please do some spring cleaning. It’s not too early.’’

On the Net:

Drought Monitor: http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm

Snowpack: http://www.co.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/data/basinplotstate04.html 

and

http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/cgibin/snowup-graph.pl?stateCO

National Interagency Fire Center: http://www.nifc.gov

http://www.chieftain.com/national/1080834902/12