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Moisture Returning to Colorado Front Range
by Kent Davis, Division Manager, Johnstown, Colo.
As Colorado crop producers head into spring, moisture conditions are steadily improving across the Front Range – easing the tension from years of drought in the area.
Based on 50-year averages, most areas are experiencing moisture conditions above, or approaching, normal. The Western Slope Basin is 108% of the normal amount of moisture, the Northern Basin is at 90% of normal, but the South Platte Basin is lagging at just 66% of normal. Even with 66% of the normal amount of moisture, the South Platte Basin is only a couple of inches behind normal at the current time. However, as this basin supplies most of the Denver area, it is crucial that the heavy snowfall months of March, April and May continue to increase water supplies in the area.
With the heavy snowfall months before us, the outlook for growing more water-intensive crops is good. A local beet processing facility is encouraging producers to plant more of the crop. Recent years have seen a decrease in beet production due to lack of moisture, and this could be an opportunity for local farmers to take advantage of potentially higher prices as well as increased moisture.
This good news is offset by a decrease in demand for barley. Last year was a banner year for barley yields in addition to the increased acres planted, as the crop requires less water to grow.
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