Rivers running well below normal
Local streams are flowing at 24-47% of normal in the Roaring Fork watershed as of Sept. 3, while the Colorado River is running at 55% of average at Dotsero and 65% 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 Sept. 1 update.
At Stillwater, located upstream of Aspen, the Roaring Fork River ran at 11.4 cfs on Sept. 3, or 24% of average. Last year, the Fork ran at 43.1 cfs on Sept. 3 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 69.5 cfs on Sept. 3, or 45% of average. The river flowed at 30% 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 41% of average on Sept. 3, or 60 cfs.
The Colorado River ran at 1,140 cfs at Glenwood Springs, or 48% of average, on Sept. 3, down from last year’s 1,730 cfs, while the Colorado flowed at 2,220 cfs near the Colorado-Utah stateline, or 65% of average.
