Will spring runoff be enough to fill a depleted Ruedi Reservoir?
This week at Aspen Journalism we looked into what’s happening at Ruedi Reservoir, which is currently around 54% full — its lowest level in nearly two decades. Whether Ruedi will fill this year may depend partly on something called the “April hole.” That’s when Grand Valley farms and ranches ramp up irrigation before spring runoff gets underway in the high country, creating a water supply gap. Irrigators place what’s known as the Cameo call and more water is released out of Ruedi to help satisfy it.
The April Cameo call doesn’t happen every year. But in 2021 the April Cameo call lasted a record 16 days. The previous longest was just five days. In 2021 Ruedi was about 20,000 acre-feet short of filling so the 1,300 acre-feet released during the April hole wasn’t a make-or-break amount. But U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials say this year’s fill probably be will be much tighter, with no water to spare.
The next few weeks will give water managers a pretty good picture of how this year’s runoff will shape up and whether it will be enough to replenish depleted reservoirs around the Colorado River basin. Snowpack usually peaks around the first week of April in average years (although this weekend’s warm temperatures may have kick-started some melting) and everyone will be closely watching the April streamflow forecasts to see how much of it is expected to make it to Lake Powell.
Check out our Data Dashboard by Data Editor Laurine Lassalle for streamflow information as the spring runoff season gets underway. Many thanks to our supporters for making this kind of data journalism possible.
Don’t forget to check out The Bucket below for a selection of interesting stories we have read in the last week.
Thank you for reading and supporting Aspen Journalism.
With gratitude,
Heather Sackett, editor and reporter
Ruedi Reservoir at lowest level in two decades
Water managers waiting to see if spring runoff is enough to fill depleted storage buckets
By Heather Sackett | March 25, 2022
Something that may influence if and how Ruedi fills this year is a phenomenon called the “April hole.”
Data dashboard: Lake Powell’s water level keeps plummeting
Lake Powell’s elevation is down to 3,523.5 feet — 1.5 feet below the target elevation of 3,525.
By Laurine Lassalle | March 29, 2022
• Snowpack at Schofield Pass reached 35.79 inches on March 27, or 109.9% of average.
• Lake Powell is 1.5 feet below the target elevation.
Tracking the Curve
Documenting COVID-19 in Pitkin, Eagle and Garfield counties
By Laurine Lassalle | March 29, 2022
Eagle County reported eight new COVID-19 cases over the weekend, Garfield County recorded five cases, while Pitkin County added two cases.
Nebraska wants to build a $500 million canal over the border. Can Colorado stop it?
“‘These guys were trying to do the same thing back in the 1890s. And here we are 100 years later,” Goddard said, his arm sweeping across the cottonwoods lining the South Platte River through Julesburg and on to the Nebraska border a mile beyond. “We’ve got to figure out how to make it work for the next 100 years.'”
Source: coloradosun.com | Read more
Colorado hits a “hard pause” on water demand management as it waits for other states to catch up
“‘I think it’s critical that we wait and see what the other states are thinking,’ Mitchell said. ‘We’ve got our thoughts and ideas and we have the capability of figuring it out, I think. But it seemed like an appropriate time to hit pause. Rather than sitting idle, we’re looking at what we can do on the intrastate level.'”
Source:coloradosun.com | Read more
In a Colorado Valley, Seeking Shelter Has Gotten Even Harder
“‘The more data you have on someone, the more you can match them to appropriate services, whether that’s helping them navigate housing applications [or] accessing an emergency shelter,’ said Michelle Skagen, Built for Zero’s coordinator in the Roaring Fork Valley.”
Source: collective.coloradotrust.org | Read more
Vail Resorts expands into Europe with planned takeover of Swiss resort
“‘Entering the European ski market has been a long-term strategic priority for Vail Resorts,’ said Vail Resorts CEO Kirsten Lynch in the company’s release. ‘We are excited to be partnering with ASA and investing our capital and resources to support the ongoing development of Andermatt-Sedrun into one of the premier alpine destination resorts in Europe, with integrated operations in lifts, food and ski school.'”
Source: vaildaily.com | Read more
The lynx of Vail Pass appear to be coexisting with forest users, for now
“‘Specifically, we want to address the question, and try to answer the question: Can the Canada Lynx, and the outdoor enthusiasts share the Vail Pass recreation area?’ Hartmann said.”
Source: vaildaily.com | Read more
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