McPhee Release Update for Sunday June 23, 2019
POSTED BY ERIC SPRAGUE ON JUNE 23, 2019
McPhee is currently releasing flows of approximately 1,500 CFS downstream.
- After spiking Friday, cold weather brought inflows rapidly down. Releases are currently ramping down to 1,200 CFS, which they are expected to reach at midnight tonight.
- Releases are expected to remain at 1,200 CFS going into the week.
- Releases will remain at or above 1,200 CFS through Thursday June 27th, and are expected to remain at or above 1,000 CFS through next weekend, Sunday June 30th. More details will continue to be announced on later posts.
- When McPhee reaches approximately full, managers will begin operating releases to balance inflows and maintain reservoir elevation at full. Due to the variation in inflows caused by both diurnal shifts and unpredictable weather patterns, releases can be expected to fluctuate above 1,200 CFS at times through the next several days.
The managed release is now winding down for the year and the seasonal recession in inflows has begun. The ramp-down from 800 CFS down to basic fishery releases is expected to start sometime around early July. If all goes as planned, it will last approximately a week, then the spill will be over. Please continue to check back on this site regularly for new updates, primarily on Mondays and Thursdays.
Please review Wednesday’s post under the “Read Older Posts” button below for more information on the current forecast.
If you have questions, the best way to address DWCD is through the “Contact” page of this website. Otherwise you can try calling 970-882-2164 extensions 5, 1 or 6.
Dolores Gage: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?09166500
McPhee Elevation & Capacity: https://dwr.state.co.us/surfacewater/data/detail_tabular.aspx?ID=MCPRESCO&MTYPE=STORAGE
Dolores below McPhee: https://dwr.state.co.us/surfacewater/data/detail_graph.aspx?ID=DOLBMCCO&MTYPE=DISCHRG
Slickrock Gage: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?09168730
Bedrock Gage: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?09171100
DRBA: https://doloresriverboating.org/
AW: https://www.americanwhitewater.org/
The following are links to the American Whitewater River Inventory pages for the lower Dolores River: