Rivers running below normal
Local streams are flowing at 45-93% of normal in the Roaring Fork watershed as of April 30, while the Colorado River is running at 43% of average at Dotsero and 30% near the Colorado-Utah stateline.
At Stillwater, located upstream of Aspen, the Roaring Fork River ran at 71 cfs on April 30, or 93% of average. Last year, the Fork ran at 68.8 cfs on April 30 at Stillwater.
Diversions through the Twin Lakes Tunnel have reduced the Fork’s flows at Stillwater. Water diverted through the tunnel, which sends Roaring Fork flows east of the Continental Divide, ran at 2.11 cfs on April 30.
The USGS sensor below Maroon Creek recorded the Fork running at 152 cfs on April 30, or 72% of average. The river flowed at 66% 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 52% of average on April 30, or 182 cfs.
The Colorado River ran at 1,750 cfs at Glenwood Springs, or 48% of average, on April 30, up from last year’s 2,750 cfs, while the Colorado flowed at 2,280 cfs near the Colorado-Utah stateline, or 30% of average.
