From The Denver Post (Scott Willoughby):

Representatives from the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area — part of the Colorado State Parks Department — have lifted the high-water advisories for the highly popular Numbers and Royal Gorge sections of the Arkansas River. Representatives from the Colorado River Outfitters Association (CROA) say the move signals a moderation in the heavy spring runoff on the upper Arkansas River, recognized as one of the nation’s most popular locations for whitewater rafting and kayaking on the most commercially rafted river in the world.

Here’s a roundup of whitewater news from Scott Willoughby writing for The Denver Post.



From The Denver Post (Joey Bunch):

Today’s break in the fast, heavy flows is probably a result of Tuesday’s cooler weather, “but it may be short-lived,” said Trest Huse, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service Office in Boulder. Recent temperatures that have been 10 to 15 degrees higher than usual are expected to drop, but an inch of rain is expected east of the Continental Divide, including the Front Range, Friday afternoon to early Saturday.

From the Summit County Citizen’s Voice:

“The inflow to Dillon Reservoir has risen dramatically over the last few days. The average inflow on June 3 was 1,157 cfs, but by June 6 it was up to 2,086 cfs. The current inflow is considerably higher than the forecasted peak, and the flows seem to be rising,” said Bob Steger, manager of raw water supply for Denver Water.

“Dillon Reservoir is currently spilling, and we are concurrently releasing about 300 cfs through the outlet works. The total outflow is currently 1700 cfs and rising. Although we are trying to moderate the outflow by gradually reducing the discharge through the outlet works as the spillage increases, it seems likely that the total outflow will exceed 1,800 cfs, which is the number we attempt to stay below,” Steger added.

Click through and check out the cool photos.

From the Summit County Citizen’s Voice:

“We were able to open the Roberts Tunnel Sunday night because we had a need for water,” said Denver Water’s Bob Steger. As of Tuesday morning, about 350 cfs were flowing through the tunnel, helping to reduce the outflow into the Lower Blue. Steger said he’s not sure how long Denver Water will continue to divert through the Roberts Tunnel. “We only take water when we need it,” he said.

All the major tributaries feeding the Blue surged to near-record levels recently as the snowpack melted all at once. Steger said he suspects a combination of dust on the snow, dead lodgepoles and the first extended warm spell of the spring combined to send the flows spiking to levels far above what was forecast.

From Steamboat Today (Tom Ross):

Joe Sullivan, a supervisory hydrologic technician with the U.S. Geological Survey office in Grand Junction, confirmed Wednesday that the Yampa River likely peaked in Steamboat Springs at 2,920 cubic feet per second at 11:30 p.m. May 30. However, Sullivan held out the possibility that lingering snowpack and a forecast of temperatures in the high 70s and low 80s Friday through Sunday still could push the Yampa to a new 2010 peak.

From Steamboat Today (Zach Fridell):

Hydrologist Bryon Lawrence of the National Weather Service’s Grand Junction forecast office, said the Elk River crested at 7.95 feet at about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, with a flow of 6,340 cubic feet per second. The river is measured where it crosses Routt County Road 42. The flood stage for the Elk River is 7.5 feet, and water is spilling over the banks onto ranchland in several areas…

The Yampa River, measured at the Fifth Street Bridge, crested at about midnight and surpassed the high water mark measured Sunday, Lawrence said, with an observed peak of 6.72 feet and a flow of 4,317 cfs. The bankfull stage on the Yampa is 6.5 feet, and flood stage is 7.5 feet. Tuesday’s reading is the second time in the past three days the Yampa River has reached a seven-year high.

From the Vail Daily (Lauren Glendenning) via Steamboat Today:

The [Eagle River] crested at 9.3 feet, and had been flowing at 7,240 cubic feet per second, according to a U.S. Geological Survey gauge there. Typical peak flow this time of year is about half that — 3,600 cubic feet per second, Lawrence said. Flood stage is 9 feet. “Unofficially, this is the second highest flow on the Eagle River in Gypsum on record since we’ve had that gauge site there,” he said. Records date back to 1947. The highest the river ever reached was 9.46 feet May 25, 1984, Lawrence said. During that flood, the river’s pace was actually a bit slower than this past flood stage. The river was down to 9.1 feet by Tuesday morning in Gypsum. The Eagle River will be high during the next several days, but it should stay within its banks except in some agricultural areas, Lawrence said.

From the Snowmass Sun

The Roaring Fork River below Aspen was big on Monday. Just how big was anyone’s guess, but it didn’t really matter to those willing to paddle the swollen torrent of chocolate water thundering over Slaughterhouse Falls. The Slaughterhouse gauge indicated that section of the Roaring Fork topped 6,000 cubic feet per second sometime in the wee hours of Monday and was running at 5,700 cfs at about 9:30 a.m. However, the gauge at Emma, below the Roaring Fork’s confluence with the Fryingpan, showed a lower flow, suggesting a malfunction with the Slaughterhouse gauge. Nonetheless, the river wasn’t for the meek. “It’s just crazy raging,” said Jim Ingram, owner of Aspen Whitewater Rafting.

From The Aspen Times (Scott Condon) via the Sky-Hi Daily News:

The National Weather Service issued a flood advisory for the Crystal River above Redstone on Sunday. “Flows on the Crystal River are expected to remain high through Tuesday as warmer-than-normal temperatures result in rapid snow melt,” the weather service statement said. Flood stage on that stretch of river is 5 feet, the advisory said. The river was at 4.3 feet on Sunday evening and was supposed to rise to about 4.9 feet after midnight this morning. The Crystal near Redstone was flowing at 1,680 cubic feet per second (cfs) Sunday evening, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. That was well below the high for the date of 2,550 cfs recorded in 1958, according to the USGS.

The Roaring Fork River was also flowing at a high level Sunday. It was at 3,210 cfs at Emma, a high over the past 12 years, according to the geological survey. The previous high for the date was 2,530 in 2008.

From The Denver Post (Christina Dickinson and Becky Ditchfield):

Flood advisories remain in effect for portions of the Cache La Poudre River in Larimer and Weld Counties, and for the South Platte River in Weld County. Portions of the Big Thompson and Saint Vrain Rivers are also under advisories in Boulder and Larimer Counties.



Make no mistake the snowpack is coming off the mountains in a big rush this weekend. Click on the thumbnail graphic to the right for a current picture. Lots of red all over Colorado.

From the Summit Daily News (Robert Allen):

“Even though things are flowing impressively right now, the overall volume this summer season is still going to be below average,” said Mike Gillespie, snow survey supervisor with the National Resources Conservation Service. The Colorado Basin’s snowpack is 57 percent of average, but reservoir storage levels are averaging 114 percent of normal — which means water supply shortages aren’t expected in the foreseeable future. Snowfall through much of winter was well below normal, but the springtime brought along a few storms that lessened the impact. “It’s not going to be a great year for anyone, but it’s still not a disaster for anyone, either,” Gillespie said.

The Blue River below Dillon Reservoir and the Colorado River near Kremmling are both flowing at more than double the average over the previous 47 years, according to the U.S. Geological Survey at http://waterdata.usgs.gov But while the white stuff is melting early this spring, last year’s larger snowpack flowed out even more quickly; the remaining snowpack by June 1 this year was 185 percent of 2009. The Blue River below Dillon Reservoir is gushing at about 1,410 cubic feet per second. “Last year we saw it as high as 1,850,” Silverthorne public works director Bill Linfield said. “Usually our peak flows in the Lower Blue come in late June, even up to the Fourth of July.”

From the Cañon City Daily Record (Charlotte Burroughs):

[Arkansas River Outfitters owner Tony Keenan] noted the Arkansas River had hit its peak last week at 4,200 cubic feet per second, but recently dropped to 2,500 cfs. “June is the best time for the water level while July and August is the best time for weather,” Keenan said. At the same time, the voluntary management flow program keeps the level at 700 cfs at Wellsville for rafters during July and part of August. Compared to two years ago, “the water is pretty much at typical levels right now once you get the snow melt across the Arkansas River valley,” said National Weather Service metrologist Mike Nosko. “The flood stage is at 9 foot,” Nosko said. “We’re plenty below the flood stage.”

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Tracy Harmon):

The Arkansas River was expected to hit flood stage at midnight and high, fast flows are expected through Tuesday as rapid snowmelt continues across the high country due to record warm temperatures. The National Weather Service in Pueblo issued a flood warning Saturday, predicting the river would crest at 9.2 feet around midnight and remain high through Tuesday before falling below the flood stage of 9 feet in Canon City. The flooding was expected to be minor, as the river has to rise to 11 feet to be considered flowing at a moderate flooding stage…

The river was flowing at 4,060 cubic feet per second at 2 p.m. Saturday at Parkdale, 10 miles west of Canon City, where it had already crested at 4,200 cfs last Sunday. The 4,060 cubic feet per second at Parkdale equates to about an 8.71 foot level in Canon City.

From The Mountain Mail (Audrey Gilpin):

Rob White, Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area park manager, said the river peaked Sunday – Browns Canyon was running at 3,160 cubic feet per second and the Salida gauge recorded 3,130 cfs. A high water advisory for boaters was in effect for the Numbers and Royal Gorge Tuesday. Wednesday, Browns Canyon was running 2,430 cfs, Royal Gorge was at 3,150 cfs and the Numbers was at 1,900 Wednesday. River levels are coming down.

From the North Forty News (Cherry Sokoloski):

The [North Poudre Irrigation Company] appropriated one acre-foot of early water per share this year, the first time in several years, because of the good supply of water. The total NPIC appropriation this year is six acre-feet, including 2.9 acre-feet of multiple use water, 2.18 acre-feet of ag water and the early water appropriation.

As the area continues to recover from the long drought, soil moisture is finally being replenished. “It’s a lot better than we’ve had for a number of years,” Smith said. Some crops are benefitting from the spring moisture, notably hay and pasture grass. Howard Diehl, whose family has some acreage in dryland crops, said the cool, wet weather has been great for grass. Winter wheat has also benefited, he said…

Stream runoff this spring is predicted to be below normal, according to Brian Werner of Northern Water. Runoff on the Poudre River is projected to be 85 percent of average, with the Big Thompson at 80 percent. The Western Slope, which provides most of the Colorado-Big Thompson storage, is predicted to produce runoff that’s only 75 to 80 percent of average. On the plus side, Werner noted, reservoir storage is very good at present. Local storage is 35 percent above average, and C-BT reservoirs are 15 percent above average. Spring moisture is keeping pressure off the reservoirs, boding well for available water later in the season.

From the Estes Park News:

High water in Estes Park, particularly the Big Thompson River, due to runoff. Public Works and Fire Department are sand bagging near the Post Office to mitigate any higher water.

From the Boulder Daily Camera (Heath Urie):

[Boulder Creek] was flowing Friday at a rate of 120 cubic feet per second. After water begins spilling from Barker Reservoir, creek flows could increase to 320 to 420 cubic feet per second, according to city officials. Flooding is not expected to occur unless a thunderstorm takes place in or around Boulder Canyon, but the increased flow could make swimming and wading dangerous, the city said. Parents are encouraged to keep their children from swimming, wading or playing near the water’s edge.



From email from the Colorado Water Conservation Board (Michelle Garrison):

Coordinated releases from a series of Upper Colorado River Basin reservoirs [began Thursday June 3] and are anticipated to carry on through next week as part of the Coordinated Reservoirs Operations Program.

Managers of the reservoirs completed a conference call today, agreeing to voluntarily run the program this year. The program benefits the endangered fish of the Upper Colorado River Basin.

Green Mountain Reservoir, operated by the Bureau of Reclamation, will increase releases by 200 cubic feet per second (cfs) today and tomorrow. Releases will go up another 400 cfs on Saturday before reaching 1400 cfs in late afternoon. Releases from Green Mountain include inflows bypassed by Dillon Reservoir, operated by Denver Water.

Denver Water also operates Williams Fork Reservoir, which will continue to pass its inflows downstream. Outflows from Williams Fork are currently about 600 cfs but may increase over the weekend with increasing inflows.

Wolford Mountain Reservoir, operated by the Colorado River Water Conservation District, is currently passing inflows of approximately 500 cfs. Outflows will be increased to approximately 200 cfs above inflow by Saturday evening. Inflows may increase over the weekend, further increasing the outflows from Wolford Mountain Reservoir.

Increased outflows from the participating reservoirs may continue through Wednesday, June 9th. The Colorado Basin River Forecast Center (CBRFC) has incorporated these planned reservoir operations into their streamflow forecasts…

More detailed information about forecasted streamflows in the Colorado River basin are available from the CBRFC website at http://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov. A map-based interface allows viewing of hydrographs detailing recent, current and anticipated flows.

“The releases boosting this year’s Colorado River peak are a tonic that will make the river healthier, and that benefits everyone from water users, to recreation, and all the fish that call the river home,” said Bart Miller, Water Program Director for Western Resource Advocates. “All the parties that have come together to make this happen are to be commended.”

The Coordinated Reservoir Operations program was established in 1995 as part of the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program. Its purpose is to enhance spring peak flows in a section of the Colorado River upstream of Grand Junction, Colo., determined critical to the survival of four endangered fish species: the humpback chub, razorback sucker, bonytail chub and the Colorado pikeminnow. In years with sufficient snowpack, surplus inflows to the reservoirs can be passed on downstream to benefit these fish.

For more information, contact Kara Lamb, Bureau of Reclamation’s Eastern Colorado Area Office, at (970) 962-4326, klamb@gp.usbr.gov; Jana Mohrman, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, at (303) 236-4486, jana_mohrman@usfws.gov or Michelle Garrison, Colorado Water Conservation Board, at (303) 866-3441, ext. 3213, michelle.garrison@state.co.us.

The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program is a cooperative partnership of local, state and federal agencies, water developers, power customers and environmental groups established in 1988 to recover the endangered fishes while water development proceeds in accordance with federal and state laws and interstate compacts.

From The Durango Herald (Dale Rodebaugh):

There’s a reason for the cafe au lait color of the roiling Animas River that was moving at 4,600 cubic feet a second at the beginning of the week. Mountain snow is melting like crazy, leaving the snowpack in the Animas, San Juan and Dolores watershed at a paltry 19 percent of the 30-year average. Statewide, as of Tuesday, the snowpack stood at 53 percent of average. The North Platte basin registered the highest percentage, 98, while the Arkansas basin was next to the bottom at 32 percent of average.

This year’s snow reserve in the Animas, San Juan and Dolores watershed is pathetic compared to June 1, 2009, when it was 123 percent of average. “Southern Colorado experienced the greatest decline in snowpack percentage in May, leaving only the higher elevations with any significant snow,” Allen Green with the Natural Resources Conservation Service said in a statement. “A general lack of precipitation since early April has decreased the outlook for runoff in the southwestern corner of the state.”[…]

Runoff filled reservoirs to 110 percent of the June 1 average statewide, compared to 95 percent last year, Green said. In the Animas, Dolores and San Juan watershed reservoir levels were 115 percent of average, compared with 96 percent last year. Hal Pierce, the superintendent at Vallecito Reservoir, said Thursday the scant snowpack won’t affect Vallecito. “I’m within two and one-half feet of filling,” Pierce said. “The water is coming up 6 to 8 inches a day, so we’ll fill or be darn close to it in five or six days.” Reservoir levels in the Gunnison and Colorado basins stood at 114 percent of the June 1 average. Rio Grande basin reservoirs had the lowest levels, 90 percent of average.

From the Montrose Daily Press (Joel Blocker):

The Lake Fork of the Gunnison River rushes toward Blue Mesa Reservoir just south of the Red Bridge campground 17 miles north of Lake City. The Lake Fork is running at 1,060 cubic feet per second, according to the USGS Real-Time Water Data for Colorado. This section is open to boaters from the Red Bridge Campground to the Gateview Campground. It’s the most challenging, thrilling stretch, with technical Class III waters that sometimes approach Class IV during high runoff.

From the Summit Daily News (Bryce Evans):

[Veteran river guide Duke Bradford] said the Blue is currently running well. And, as the river may hit its peak in the coming weeks — possibly even days — now’s the time to go down it. “It’s anyone’s guess how long it’ll last, but we should have at least a couple weeks,” he added about the Blue.

The Arkansas, however, is looking to have a long season, possibly past the end of August, due to high amounts of winter precipitation on Hoosier Pass. Bradford said the “Ark” is commonly consistent for boaters, as it has controlled releases from the reservoir.

Clear Creek, in the stretches near Idaho Springs, is already running well and should continue to do so until early August. “That’s the closest, most consistent whitewater we have,” Bradford said.

And in each of the rivers, Bradford said a boater of every ability can find the stretch that’s right for them.

For instance, the Colorado River has arguably the best stretch of class IV and V rapids anywhere in the country in Gore Canyon near Kremmling. There’s a waterfall, long runs, and Bradford said the stretch is strictly for the “active and aggressive” boaters with a whole lot of experience. (Swimming tests — including recovery from under the raft — are required to paddle down the area.) On the other hand, the Colorado also offers some pretty leisurely paced float trips.

From The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel (Dennis Webb):

Mesa County officials are warning the public to expect a two-foot surge in water levels on the Colorado River this weekend. Warm temperatures will contribute to the increase, as will a coordinated release of water from reservoirs in the Upper Colorado River Basin to benefit endangered fish. Strong currents, cold water and debris dislodged by heavy flows will increase the danger of river travel, and the county is urging people to use caution on or near the river. The Mesa County Sheriff’s Department recommended that non-experienced boaters stay off the river, and said canoes, inner tubes and inflatable boats with single-chamber flotation should not be used under current conditions. It also said people always should use life vests on the water and refrain from drug and alcohol use on or near rivers…

Peak flows are expected early next week and should be right around average, said Bryon Lawrence, a hydrologist for the National Weather Service in Grand Junction. But average peak runoffs still demand plenty of respect from river visitors in western Colorado. “We always tell people several things this time of year, and one is never underestimate the force of fast-moving water,” Lawrence said. “And the waters are very cold. I think sometimes people underestimate that, too,” he said. The snowmelt-swollen Colorado River has a water temperature of about 50 degrees right now.

The Colorado River usually peaks between May 29 and June 18, so this year’s peak should arrive around the normal time, Lawrence said. Officials are predicting the river at Cameo will peak Monday night or Tuesday morning between 17,100 and 18,900 cubic feet per second. Its depth there could reach 10.5 feet. In years where conditions allow, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and other reservoir operators have agreed to joint releases during peak river flows to help flood river shallows upstream of Grand Junction. Those shallows are considered critical spawning habitat for the humpback chub, razorback sucker, bonytail chub and Colorado pikeminnow. Despite below-average snowpack this year, reservoir storage levels remain good, Lawrence said. Also, a cool spring helped preserve what snowpack there was, and spring storms in the central and northern mountains enhanced it, he said.

Flooding isn’t in the forecast, though. The only area of concern is the Elk River near Steamboat Springs, and even there it’s unlikely to flood, although it may fill the riverbank in places, he said.

From NBC11News.com (James Hopkins):

The coordinated reservoir operations program was established in 1985 to enhance spring peak flows in a section of the upper Colorado river that has been deemed critical for the survival of 4 endangered fish species, the Humpback Chub, Razorback Sucker, Bonytail Chub and the Colorado Pikeminnow. “We’re releasing 1400 CFM so we can reach this high peak flow,” says Hock. Reservoirs are able to bypass the flows because of the past few years of “good” snowpack. The higher river flows help get rid of the silt that builds up on the bottom of the river. “The eggs fall into the spaces between the cobble that were once filled with the silt,” says Osmundson. This gives the eggs a better chance of reaching maturity and hatching. It also increases the amount of food for the fish to eat.

It’s not only these endangered fish that benefit from the higher flows. “That also benefits the people who are fishing and rafting on the river as well,” says Hock. The reservoir release is planned to run through Tuesday next week with peak water levels expected to rise about two feet through town. A short inconvenience for some that will hopefully lead to a brighter future for our endangered species. “It’s been shown that years following higher in stream flows we have more years of reproduction of our endangered fish,” says Osmundson.

From The Fairplay Flume (Danny Ramey):

South Platte River between Eleven Mile and Spinney Mountain reservoirs – Flows for the “Dream Stream” have been around 63.6 cubic feet per second lately…

South Platte River near Deckers – The flows on this portion of the river continue to be low, running between 60-70 cfs.

From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):

We have the Ruedi Weather Station available on-line! Please visit the Weather Station at www.usbr.gov/gp/ecao/ruediweatherstation.html. It displays current air temperature, wind speeds, humidity and more. Additionally, because it uses the same transmission system as our water gages, the Weather Station Website also displays water level elevation and reservoir content.

Releases from the dam to the Fryingpan are about 90 cfs. We have not made any changes. However, the Rocky Fork is picking up snow melt and flowing pretty well. I believe the gage below the dam is reading about 125 cfs.



From The Denver Post (Scott Willoughby):

The typically tranquil Gore Creek, for example, shot up from a mere 450 cubic feet per second at its primary USGS measuring station Thursday to a whopping 1,300 cfs by midnight the next day. That’s nearly triple the flow coming down a creek that begins and ends above 8,000 feet…

“I’m afraid we may not have reached the high-flow period yet,” USGS Colorado spokeswoman Heidi Koontz told The Denver Post on Sunday. “Typically, the high-flow period comes in the middle of June.”[…]

Kayakers converged along the Arkansas over the weekend as Buena Vista christened a pair of new man-made whitewater waves during the annual CKS Paddlefest. The show then moved to Steamboat Springs for the Paddling Life Pro Invitational on Fish Creek and the Yampa River on Monday. Boaters in both places were greeted by a spike of about 1,000 cfs over the course of just a few days, enough to put most paddlers on red alert. Meanwhile, the reputation of the 3-year-old wave park on the Colorado River at Glenwood Springs continued to swell among river surfers, with as many as 15 board surfers lining up among the throng of kayakers waiting to ride the wave on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Roughly 25 more showed up to compete in the second annual Whitewater Stand Up Paddle Surfing Championships held there Monday. As the calendar reaches river season statewide, organizers of the Teva Mountain Games in Vail, Salida’s annual FIBArk Festival, the Lyons Outdoor Games on the St. Vrain, Animas River Days in Durango and the Gunnison River Festival in between are excited to showcase their local treasures and share them with the world.

From Fox21.com (Rachel Welte):

The National Weather Service in Pueblo said Monday sections of the [Arkansas River] are less than a foot away from flood stage, sitting at 8.6 feet…

“If you can imagine 3,000 basketballs going by any given point in the river at any time, that is about the volume of flow we are running, so that is a lot of water,” Tony Keenan said.

More whitewater coverage here.



From The Denver Post (Joey Bunch):

Recent cold and snow have meant a slow start to the snowmelt, as most rivers are running below normal, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs was flowing at 962 cubic feet per second Sunday. The 30- year median for this time of year is 1,930 cfs. Rafters on the Colorado River, however, got an earlier start because of dam releases, said Sandra Winslow, manager at Whitewater Rafting LLC, a 36-year-old business in Glenwood Springs. As a result, the Colorado River was running at 2,200 cfs Sunday, she said. The normal peak of the season is late May, but delayed snowmelt could mean a gangbuster season with the fast stream flow later this month.

From the Summit Daily News (Julie Sutor):

Denver Water, which supplies water to about 1.3 million people in the Denver Metro area, has 10 major reservoirs, including Dillon Reservoir, in its water-storage system. “They’re all going to fill, so that’s good news,” Denver Water’s Bob Steger said.

As of May 15, snowpack in the Upper Colorado River basin, which includes Summit County’s Blue River, was 89 percent of average; year-to-date precipitation in the basin totaled 92 percent of average on Saturday. The Colorado River Basin’s peak snowpack this year was 83 percent of the 1971-2000 average peak. Snowpack in the South Platte basin was 106 percent of average on May 15, and year-to-date precipitation was 91 percent of average, which is good news for Summit County. Denver Water gets about half its water from the South Platte basin, and about a quarter from the Blue River basin. So when the South Platte is dry, the agency draws more water from the Blue, including Dillon Reservoir.

As for the quality of kayaking, rafting and fishing on the Blue River below Dillon Dam, that will depend on the next few months’ weather on both sides of the Continental Divide. If wet weather persists, Steger predicts the Lower Blue will have five to six weeks of good rafting and 14 to 15 weeks of good fishing. If the weather turns dry for the next few months, the Blue River will only be conducive to rafting for one or two weeks. But fishing, which is better at lower flows, will be good for 18 to 19 weeks during late spring and summer…

Denver Water is now conducting research to quantify how dust storms affect the timing of snowmelt and peak river flows and the implications the storms have on its operations. Several dust storms have come through Summit County this spring. Drought and human development are the major causes of dust storms, as disturbances to soil allow it to be picked up more easily by winds.



From 9News.com (Jeffrey Wolf/Matt Renoux):

Without massive moisture, rivers like the Colorado, Eagle, and Clear Creek are expected to be 30 percent to 40 percent below average.

That does not mean the rafting season is washed up, thanks to big rivers, like the Gunnison and Arkansas where snow has been pretty good and water flows are expected to be normal. “The Gunnison should flow well, and the Upper Arkansas will have runoff well above 90 percent, or very close to average,” Hummer said.