From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
On Sunday, gates on Lake Pueblo dam were releasing about 70 cubic feet per second, while another 36 cfs came through the Pueblo State Fish Hatchery. Monday, the gates were pouring 250 cfs into the river. Winter water is a court-decreed program that allows farmers to store water from Nov. 15-March 15 instead of irrigating fields. This year, about 150,000 acre-feet of water was stored in Lake Pueblo dam, John Martin Reservoir and reservoirs operated by the Colorado, Holbrook, Fort Lyon and Amity canals. That was above the 20-year average of about 143,000 acre-feet. As of Monday, the priority in the Arkansas River was at March 1, 1887, at the Fort Lyon headgate, Witte said…
Releasing water from Lake Pueblo dam will begin to lower the lake’s elevation to flood-control levels by May 1. This month, Lake Pueblo dam reached its highest volume of water in the past 10 years, causing concern that water stored by Aurora in its excess-capacity account might be spilled.
More Arkansas River Basin coverage here.