Click the link to read the article on the Summit Daily News website (Ryan Spencer). Here’s an excerpt:
May 11, 2024
Dillon Reservoir will “fill and spill” for the second year in a row, Denver Water announced this week. Dillon Reservoir – which is [part of] Denver’s public water supply – is currently 87% full, matching the average for May, according to Denver Water. Natural streamflow into the reservoir is predicted to be 101% of normal this runoff season and, right now, inflow into the reservoir is about 350 cubic feet per second. With the reservoir levels expected to reach an elevation of 9,012 feet by June 12, Denver Water said that it expects both the Dillon and Frisco marinas could be fully operational by that date. As inflows into the reservoir increase over the next week, Denver Water said it will ramp up outflow to the Blue River to between 200 and 400 cubic feet per second. Then, the following week, outflow may be adjusted to accommodate the Colorado Park and Wildlife’s fish survey and will likely remain in the 250 to 400 cubic feet per second range.
But by the end of May or early June, [Kevin] Foley said that he expects the Blue River will be open to commercial rafting, which requires at least 500 cubic feet per second. He expects the season could last three to four weeks, though it could be longer or shorter depending on weather. With a healthy snowpack peak of 119%, Foley said that the conditions for rafting could be pristine this summer. That is enough of a snowpack to fill the Dillon Reservoir and have other rivers in the state flowing too, but it is not so much that it will create too strong of streamflows for commercial rafting, he said.