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Lower BLue going down, down DOWN

2K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  Andy H. 
#1 ·
All,
The high flows we were bypassing through Green Mountain Reservoir to the Lower Blue have dropped off and the snow pack is not maintaining in the way we had projected. So, in short, the heat has put an end to Green Mountain's participation in the Coordinated Resevoirs Operations program for the endangered fish.

Yesterday, we began scaling back releases from Green Mountain to the Lower Blue considerably. The scaling back has continued through this morning and we should now be releasing only 60 cfs to the Lower Blue.

I know that 60 cfs is disappointing, especially right before Memorial Day weekend. The heat just did not cooperate and go away. It evaporated some snow pack and sent the rest of the snow melt peaking early.

I hear Denver Water is also cutting back releases from Dillon down to about 100 cfs. I do not know if Wolford Mountain or Williams Fork have suffered the same fate. So, I do not have a guess what Gore might look like over the holiday weekend.

The 60 cfs rate is actually our normal operating plan for this time of year. Anymore, Green Mountain releases usually come on for the second half of summer, rather than the first. Expect to hear more from me towards the middle or end of July as far as this particular reservoir is concerned.

Have a safe holiday!
--Kara
 
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#3 ·
Those folks over at the Bureau of Reclamation are such jokers!

But seriously, Kara, when are y'all going to start doing playpark feature and rapids modeling at the Fed Center hydraulics lab? I was over there for a project a couple of months ago and saw some really cool scale spillway and fish ladder models. Now if we could just get those guys with the slide-rules going on some recreational applications!

Thanks for putting out the BOR info to the boating community,

--Andy
 
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