Water officials warn of tight supplies at Jackson Gulch; allocation meeting set for May 12

Wes Coleman, representing the Mancos Water Conservancy District, told the Mineral County Board of Social Services at its April 27 workshop that Jackson Gulch reservoir was "sitting at about 77%" and that earlier storms had helped boost storage from much lower levels.

Coleman reported inflows of roughly 13.8 cubic feet per second (CFS) and returns of about 8.14 CFS, and said the lake has established a 30% boundary at which releases would stop. He warned that, absent heavier precipitation, the Mancos Valley faces a difficult water year for irrigation and urged users to prioritize taking an early first cut when releases begin.

"If we hit that 30% mark, we will discontinue all releases," Coleman said, and noted that allocations have not yet been finalized; the conservancy board will meet May 12 at the NWC office by Jackson Lake to set allocations.

Board members pressed on how long a 50% allocation might last; Coleman said it depends on demand but estimated flows could support deliveries through June into July if users take their water promptly. The board also discussed minimum operational release thresholds; Coleman said the minimum for the hydro plan/jet valve is about 10 CFS, below which releases may be curtailed.

County elected officials and conservation-district representatives later described local coordination to delay river call timing, reduce transit loss and support diversion upgrades and telemetry to stretch supplies.

The conservancy's next allocation meeting is May 12; Coleman urged irrigators to be prepared to pull allotted water quickly when releases begin.