From the Fort Collins Coloradoan (Marcy Miranda):
A continuation of warm weather coupled with strong possibilities for thunderstorms during the coming week and the high water level in Northern Colorado rivers mean residents should be wary of the chances for flooding, said Don Day of DayWeather in Cheyenne, Wyo…
Flooding is more likely to occur when extended thunderstorms fall in areas where water levels are high because of melted snowpack, he said. The Poudre’s water flow level is at its highest since 1999, according to a news release issued by the city of Fort Collins…
Water levels [in the Cache la Poudre] this weekend fluctuated between 2,000 and 5,000 cfs, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey site in Fort Collins. The average water levels for this weekend are slightly below 2,000 cfs, according to data exceeding 100 years. The Big Thompson River was overflowing its banks in some areas of Estes Park on Sunday, causing some minor flooding. The town placed sand bags in several spots along the Big Thompson during the weekend and had sand bags available for residents of the town and Larimer County.
From NBC11News.com (Tim Ciesco):
The Colorado River is expected to crest at 12.4 feet early Tuesday morning. Flood stage is 12.5 feet. Mesa County emergency officials say at levels that high, they do expect to see some minor flooding in low lying areas, but believe it will stay to the eastern part of the county, primarily in uninhabited areas. The last time Mesa County experienced flooding was 2008, when surging river levels forced crews to shut down portions of roads. Although the river is expected to peak at a higher level than it did back then, officials don’t believe road closures will happen this time around. They say in 2008, the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers were both running high — but currently, the Gunnison River is not. River levels are expected to start dropping off Tuesday afternoon, but emergency officials say they’ll be keeping a very close eye on them for the next few days.
From The Denver Post (Kieran Nicholson):
Many of the state’s most popular rivers are running at two to three times their normal flow. Unseasonably warm temperatures are expected to persist this week, according to the National Weather Service.
Since Sunday, 14 homes in East Vail have sustained millions of dollars in flood damage, and the town of Vail estimates its loss to bike paths and other public infrastructure at about $1 million…
Clear Creek is running at about 1,350 cubic feet per second. On Friday, the waterway was flowing at 650 cfs, said Karlyn Tilley, a city and fire department spokeswoman. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department will decide this morning whether to close the creek, she said…
Drew Kramer, spokesman for the Colorado River Outfitters Association, said the abnormally fast rivers are a mixed bag for rafting companies. While some people might be frightened away, “adrenaline junkies” are racing to the high country, he said.
From the Glenwood Springs Post Independent (John Gardner):
According to Bryon Lawrence, a hydrologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Grand Junction, the high water levels and flooding were a surprise with a well-below average snowfall this past winter. “To be totally honest, it was not expected,” Lawrence said of the high water levels. Hydrologists predicted a mediocre runoff season in May, anticipating river flows on the Colorado and Roaring Fork Rivers near Glenwood Springs to be about half of average. The average peak flow for the Colorado River is reportedly about 10,500 cubic feet per second (cfs).
According to the United State Geological Survey (USGS) the Colorado River at Dotsero was running at about 13,900 cfs Monday. The Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs was reportedly running at about 9,350 cfs, Monday. And the Colorado, below Glenwood Springs where the Roaring Fork dumps into it, was reportedly running at a whopping 22,600 cfs.
While the predictions of peak runoff occurring between June 3-18 are right on target, predicting the runoff peak level can be a difficult thing to do, Lawrence said. “The peak flow forecast is very weather dependent,” he said. “This year we’ve been talking about not having good snowpack, but in March and April we had several snowstorms that replenished the snowpack levels and below normal temperatures that helped maintain that snowpack.” The temperatures remained relatively low until recently, when temperatures surged near record highs for much of the region, and state. The high temperatures melted the snowpack at a rapid pace, causing the river levels to surge. “The snow that is up there now is really melting very quickly,” Lawrence said.
The National Weather Service issued a flood advisory for parts of the Crystal River, near Redstone, on Sunday. And, while the Eagle River near Gypsum is running at record levels and is classified at “above flood stage”, the Colorado and Roaring Fork Rivers near Glenwood Springs are still being classified as “normal”, despite the higher than average peak flows.
The Colorado River is currently at record levels. According to the USGS, the Colorado River at Glenwood Springs reached a record flow of 22,400 cfs in 1997. The river at Dotsero, above the Glenwood Canyon reached a record flow of 17,100 recorded in 1952. The Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs is flowing this year at 9,350 cfs, well above the record levels of 7,140 cfs recorded in 1984…
The USGS measured the Roaring Fork River at a depth of 7.28 feet, Sunday, Lawrence said. The river reaches the flood stage at 9.3 feet, he said. The Colorado is even less likely to flood near Glenwood. The river has a current depth of 10.2 feet, with a flood stage threshold of 16.5 feet.