Although it feels like spring is slow coming to the Four Corners Region, with low overnight temperatures in the teens and twenties, we’ve had a good winter when considering precipitation. From October 1st, 2022, the beginning of the 2023 water year, until the end of March, 2023, snow and rain has amounted to 10.5 inches. Looking at National Weather Service records for the October to end of March time period going back to 1978, there have been three years when there has been more precipitation recorded in Cortez, 1984-85, with 10.67 inches, 1979-80, with 11.87 inches, and 1978-79, which ended the 1977 drought, with 12.23 inches. A weather observer who lives east of Yellow Jacket recorded 12 inches of precipitation from October 22 until March 23, and 80 inches of snow fall.
According to Colorado state Climatologist Russ Schumacher, the statewide snowpack is %140% of average, which is well above the 97% average snowpack last year. The Arkansas River basin is the only basin in the state that is below average. According to Fresh Water News, even with a good snowpack, Colorado reservoir storage is 80% of average. Blue Mesa Reservoir is 35% of full, and is expected to 71% full by the end of the year. But the Colorado River system is not expected to see much recovery, since Lake Powell is projected to be only 32% of full capacity by the end of the year. But to the west, the California Department of Water Resources is reporting that the state’s snow totals are among the top ten snowiest Sierra winters recorded, with over 55 feet of snow on some mountain peaks. Now flooding is of concern if warm weather causes snow to melt faster than rivers and streams can carry the snow melt. The highest ever amount of snowfall recorded in California was over 68 feet in 1938.
Although cattle producers in the Four Corners Region are glad to have moisture that will help pastures and ranges to recover from several years of dry conditions, they’ve had a tough calving season. Although cold weather can be expected from February into March, cold, wet conditions this year have caused above average calf losses this spring for some producers.
2022 was a good year for most farmers and ranchers financially, which is indicated by only 169 farm bankruptcies filed during the year, which was the lowest number since Chapter 12 became permanent in 2005. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, this is the first time that there were fewer than 200 farm bankruptcies in a year.
The U.S. Census Bureau reported that the nation’s rural population grew slightly last year, which may be one more indication that historic losses in non-metropolitan populations in the 2010s may have been reversed for the time being. The number of people living in rural counties grew by 56,000 from 2021 to 2022. That’s an increase of about 1%, which is similar to America’s rural population gain two years ago.
Since April 18th is near, this quote from former Chief Minister of France, Jean-Baptiste Colbert may be appropriate. He wrote: “The art of taxation consists in so plucking the goose as to obtain the largest amount of feather with the smallest amount of hissing.”
