San Juan below Navajo Dam

​BUREAU OF RECLAMATION - NAVAJO DAM RELEASES

April 17, 2025

 

The Bureau of Reclamation has scheduled a decrease in the release from Navajo Dam from 400 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 350 cfs for Friday, April 18th, at 4:00 AM. 

Releases are made for the authorized purposes of the Navajo Unit, and to attempt to maintain a target base flow through the endangered fish critical habitat reach of the San Juan River (Farmington to Lake Powell).  The San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program recommends a target base flow of between 500 cfs and 1,000 cfs through the critical habitat area.  The target base flow is calculated as the weekly average of gaged flows throughout the critical habitat area from Farmington to Lake Powell.  

 

This scheduled release change is subject to changes in river flows and weather conditions.  If you have any questions, please reply to this message, call 970-385-6500, or visit Reclamation’s Navajo Dam website at https://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/cs/nvd.html

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Dolores River

Dolores Water Conservancy District - McPhee Releases

Monday April 15, 2025

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McPhee is currently releasing approximately 25 CFS for the downstream fishery. Flows will run approximately 25 CFS through at least Wednesday before returning to 10 CFS. Releases are expected to vary between 10 CFS and 30 CFS for the remainder of the 2025 water year. More details will be posted later this spring. https://www.doloreswater.com/

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Rio Epic view is these are brutally low flows. We'll see a closure some time early summer unless flows increase. 

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Pine River

Dolores Water Conservancy District - McPhee Releases

Monday April 22, 2025

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We don't get a lot info from PRID but history tends to follow the same trend from year to year. This year being what is forecasted as a drought year, we did witness a delay in releases this spring. Releases from Vallecito typically start in late March or early April when the irrigation demand begins. This year it started April 21st. The lake is pretty full at this point so releases have begun. https://www.pineriverirrigationdistrict.com/

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Rio Grande River

RIVER WARNING: There has been some in-river work done on the irrigation ditch, head-gate and diversion between County Road Bridge 18 and Hannah Lane. DIY rafters and boaters please take note there is a large wave and the best way through is on far left. Keep it straight, as it has flipped a couple boats already this spring.

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San Luis Valley Irrigation District - 30-Mile Releases

​Water Managers Anticipate Early Runoff, Low River Flows, and Short Boating Season on the Upper Rio
Grande
Heather Dutton, Manager, San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District
Daniel Boyes, Executive Director, Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project

Wednesday May 1, 2025

San Luis Valley Water Managers have reviewed streamflow forecasts, available water stored in
reservoirs, and anticipated reservoir operations for the 2025 spring, summer, and fall seasons, and
determined that 2025 will likely be a year with early runoff, low flows in streams and rivers, and a short
boating season.

The Colorado Division of Water Resources Division 3 Engineer’s March 31, 2025 10-day report
forecasted the total annual flow at the Del Norte gage will be 390,000 acre-feet. For reference, the flows
in 2020 totaled 377,000 acre-feet. The National Weather Service is forecasting hot and dry conditions
into July, with chances of a normal monsoon season in late summer. The snow water equivalent for the
Upper Rio Grande Basin was 25% of the median for the 1991-2020 time period on April 28, 2025. The
irrigation season began on April 1st on the Rio Grande. As such, on-stream reservoirs are required to pass
all inflows to satisfy the needs of downstream senior water rights holders.

Given the low amount of snow remaining in the mountains and the anticipated summer drought
conditions, it is likely that local rivers and streams will reach their peak runoff in May. The reservoir
operators at Rio Grande, Santa Maria, and Continental Reservoirs will begin releasing stored irrigation
water to downstream farmers after the river peaks. The San Luis Valley Irrigation District (SLVID) will
release water from Rio Grande Reservoir to the Farmers Union Canal as soon as their first direct flow
priorities come into priority on the Rio Grande at anticipated rates of 150-400 cubic feet per second for
up to 15 days. This schedule will be updated through May as river conditions change. The Santa Maria
Reservoir Company anticipates beginning releases from Santa Maria and Continental Reservoirs to the
Rio Grande Canal and Monte Vista Canal in late May or early June. The timing of the releases of water
will depend on flow rates in the canals and when farmers order water. The natural river flows and
releases of irrigation water will provide the highest rates of flow during the summer season. As such,
boatable flows on the Rio Grande may diminish as early as mid to late June.

Entities including Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), the San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District
(SLVWCD), and the Rio Grande Water Conservation District (RGWCD) store water in reservoirs in the
Upper Rio Grande Basin and call for releases for their operations in accordance with their water rights
decrees. Where possible, releases by these organizations will be prioritized during hot periods to
supplement the natural flow of the Rio Grande helping to reduce high water temperatures and low river
flows, thereby protecting the health of fish. Generally, when water temperatures reach 68 degrees, fish
become very stressed and voluntary fishing restrictions are enacted at 72 degrees. Stakeholders will
watch temperatures on the Rio Grande and the South Fork of the Rio Grande carefully and take action to
release water where possible.

The water managers and reservoir operators in the Rio Grande Basin are working in partnership to
manage water in order to meet multiple needs. These efforts build off of many years of collaboration
amongst water users on the Rio Grande. In order to better inform the local communities of water
management operations, additional information will be compiled and shared via news outlets, social
media, and email as reservoir releases are planned and executed..

https://www.rgwcd.org/ or https://www.slvid.org/​