​Rio Grande River

RIVER WARNING: There has been in-river rock work completed this past spring on the irrigation ditch, head-gate and diversion between County Road Bridge 18 and Hannah Lane. Guides, DIY rafters and boaters please take note as this rapid has flipped boats and or has ejected passengers. Depending on flow the best way through will certainly change. There is a large river-wide wave/rapid and in many spots the water recirculates and keep a boat sucked in.

 

Routes:

Low flows 300 to 1000 CFS (give or take) the best way through is on far left.

Higher flows up to 1400 CFS shift a bit more center.

High flows 1900+ CFS it is NOT recommended to float through it.

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In high flows we do not recommend hard boats go through. Far right is not an option as the weir design has large boulders with minimal water going over it.

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Rio Flow News: 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 20, 2025

 

The 2025 runoff season is well underway. Water managers and administrators continue to anticipate that rivers and streams in the Rio Grande basin will peak early and flows will be low in the summer months. The second Airborne Snow Observatory flight of the year was conducted in the Upper Rio Grande watershed on May 13-15th. The flight measured remaining snowpack using LiDAR technology and provided an estimate of snow water equivalent. The values observed are consistent with the initial estimate by the Division 3 Engineer that total streamflow in 2025 at the Del Norte gage will be 390,000 acre-feet. The Division Engineer will continue to review forecasts from the National Weather Service (NWS) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and update the streamflow forecast if necessary. The snow water equivalent for the Upper Rio Grande Basin was 10% of the median for the 1991-2020 time period on May 18th. The flow at Del Norte hit a high for the season of 2,670 cfs on May 14th and dropped in the following days with cooler temperatures. The river will likely peak in the next week, if it hasn’t already peaked.

 

 The San Luis Valley Irrigation District (SLVID) began releasing stored water from Rio Grande Reservoir to the Farmer’s Union Canal on Friday, May 16th. The SLVID Superintendent estimates the release will continue for about two weeks at a rate of 200-400 cfs. Changes in river flow, such as an increase in runoff due to warming temperatures, could alter the releases. The Santa Maria Reservoir Company has not yet started their releases out of Santa Maria and Continental Reservoirs and expects to begin the release and water deliveries to the Rio Grande Canal and Monte Vista Canal around May 27th.

 

 Entities including Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), the San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District (SLVWCD), and the Rio Grande Water Conservation District (RGWCD) that store water in reservoirs in the Upper Rio Grande Basin will prioritize water releases during hot periods, where possible, and in accordance with water rights decrees. Generally, when water temperatures reach 68 degrees, fish are stressed. CPW may enact voluntary fishing closures when daily maximum water temperatures are greater than 71 degrees. Stakeholders will watch water temperatures on the Rio Grande and the South Fork of the Rio Grande carefully and take action to release water where possible. These efforts will supplement the natural flow of the Rio Grande and help to reduce the impacts from high water temperatures and low river flows. A local outfitter provided the attached chart, which may be useful in determining fishing plans this summer. We will continue to provide updated information as it is available.  

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

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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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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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Dolores River

Dolores Water Conservancy District - McPhee Releases

Monday May 2025

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McPhee is currently releasing approximately 14 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. ​