The official runoff season is April 1 through July 31. However, since a fair amount of the Dolores River drainage is from lower elevations, there sometimes can be considerable inflow into McPhee Reservoir in March. Annual runoff varies greatly from year to year. This wide range poses challenges for reservoir managers. It is extremely difficult to maximize the use of the water, given the variability of runoff forecasts, variability of irrigator demands, variability of changes in average daily temperatures, variability in precipitaion forecastes, and finally, especially when trying to manage a minimal amount of water. 

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