Northgate Flows

[jtnc]

I was wondering if those out there more familiar with Northgate
Canyon/N. Platte have a feel for whether the river is now
in a downward trend (at least through today it is), or if it's
just weather related like the Poudre had been.

Basically I'm trying to decide if I need to get my act together and
get a group up there to do it Sunday while it's at ~1500
or if it'll still maintain around that for next weekend, which would
be my preferred date.

I'm assuming it won't go back up to the +3K it was at earlier
this season, but I'm hoping for it to stay above ~1500 until after
I boat it - then it can drop

Thanks
John

[rockinRio]

I've heard through the grapevine that there is still a lot of snow in the mountains, and it is butt cold up here.

Normally I would say it is on the down slope. But you might have another two or three weeks at this rate. It will depend on how hot and how fast we get hot in the next couple of weeks.

Just my opinion though. I could be wrong.

[Chip]

I think you're right that we might have seen the peak for this year.

Unless we get a string of warm days and nights, with a downpour on top.

That could pop it back up to 3k or higher. I think we have a better June snowpack than the year it hit 5200, in 2005 after some really wet storms.

P6050030.jpg

Here's a deco of Stovepipe at that level. Narrow Falls was awe-inspiring.

I've been looking at North Platte hydrographs for the entire period of record (~100 years) and the high water is nearly always a series of peaks. If the ranchers in North Park all shut their headgates, it'd have stronger sustained flows, but it would still be a zig-zag graph, with steep ups and downs. Nature of the beast.

Right now it's around 1450 and dropping. A couple warm days might level it off or even pump it up a bit. Anyhow, it's a fun level: good to go.

[Tiggy]

Originally Posted by jtnc

I was wondering if those out there more familiar with Northgate
Canyon/N. Platte have a feel for whether the river is now
in a downward trend (at least through today it is), or if it's
just weather related like the Poudre had been.

Basically I'm trying to decide if I need to get my act together and
get a group up there to do it Sunday while it's at ~1500
or if it'll still maintain around that for next weekend, which would
be my preferred date.

I'm assuming it won't go back up to the +3K it was at earlier
this season, but I'm hoping for it to stay above ~1500 until after
I boat it - then it can drop

Thanks
John

I could meet you there tomorrow if I dont bomb up there today for a paddle.

[Chip]

Just checked the USGS gage. It could be down around 1000 on Sunday unless we get enough day and nighttime heat to crank up the snowmelt. At that level it starts to get bony for larger rafts, while being fun for 'yaks and duckies down to 700 or so. At lower levels it can be more work than fun.

Another factor is all the water diverted in North Park for irrigation. The headwaters might rise without the pulse making it down to Northgate.

On this part of the North Platte the high water seems to rise and fall quickly. Hard to time it with days off, etc.

[Chip]

Dropped to 1100 on Sunday, but the heat is pushing it up again. 1330 today. Forecast is for warm weather.

Looks like I'll be unavailable for a few days.

cheers, Chip