Rivers running well below normal
Local streams are flowing at 17-36% of normal in the Roaring Fork watershed as of Aug. 2, while the Colorado River is running at 52% of average at Dotsero and 37% near the Colorado-Utah stateline.
Despite recent rainfall, the Roaring Fork River watershed is still experiencing exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor’s July 30 update.
“Precipitation totals remain below average across the watershed this month – for example, Aspen Airport has received half its normal July precipitation,” the Roaring Fork Conservancy July 30 River Report noted. “Releases from Ruedi Reservoir decreased by 50 cfs on Wednesday, but releases are expected to increase substantially in the next couple of weeks to fulfill senior water rights in the drought-stricken Grand Valley.”
At Stillwater, located upstream of Aspen, the Roaring Fork River ran at 14.2 cfs on Aug. 2, or 17% of average. Last year, the Fork ran at 50.6 cfs on Aug. 2 at Stillwater.
Diversions through the Twin Lakes Tunnel have reduced the Fork’s flows at Stillwater although the amount of water diverted through the tunnel, which sends Roaring Fork flows east of the Continental Divide, has slowly decreased since mid-June.
The USGS sensor below Maroon Creek recorded the Fork running at 103 cfs on Aug. 2, or 31% of average. The river flowed at 36% of average near Emma, below the confluence with the dam-controlled Fryingpan.
Meanwhile, the Crystal River above Avalanche Creek, which is not impacted by dams or transbasin diversions, flowed at 26% of average on Aug. 2, or 70.6 cfs.
The Colorado River ran at 1,590 cfs at Glenwood Springs, or 49% of average, on Aug. 2, down from last year’s 2,120 cfs, while the Colorado flowed at 1,750 cfs near the Colorado-Utah stateline, or 37% of average.
