GLENWOOD SPRINGS \u2014 Rivers are rising faster than usual throughout the Colorado and Roaring Fork river watersheds, as warm temperatures have led to early melting of the high-country snowpack.<\/p>\n
Higher river flows have also drawn paddlers to the Glenwood Springs Whitewater Park, as the facility officially reopened this week with public health guidelines in place amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will close the park immediately if guidelines are not being followed,\u201d the city advises in a posted notice.<\/p>\n
Commercial rafting is on hold until later this month or early June while guidelines are being developed for that and other tourist activities. Private boats are allowed on the rivers, but with social-distancing and other health guidelines in mind.<\/p>\n
The higher river flows are the result of warmer-than-normal temperatures across Colorado\u2019s Western Slope, and the lack of precipitation to add to the mountain snowpack in April, according to Ken Leib, hydrologist with the United State Geological Survey in Grand Junction.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is associated with the temperature,\u201d Leib said of the daily river flow volumes and depth recorded by the USGS. \u201cWhen we had the warm snap over the weekend, the flows came up, and when it cooled down they leveled off some.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leib said the Colorado River could see peak flows earlier than usual if the warmer weather continues, or possibly an early peak and then a second peak in June if temperatures modify.<\/p>\n
After the record snowpack during the winter of 2018-19, the peak flow on the Colorado River below the confluence with the Roaring Fork River in Glenwood Springs didn\u2019t come until July 1, 2019, according to USGS historical data.<\/p>\n
The flow last year topped out at 20,800 cubic feet per second (cfs), at a depth of 9 feet, 8 inches at the Glenwood measuring station.<\/p>\n
Dating back to 1967, the highest peak flow at Glenwood was 31,500 cfs on May 25, 1984. The earliest peak flow came on May 20, 1996, at 18,200 cfs.<\/p>\n
As of Thursday evening, according to realtime USGS data<\/a>, the Colorado at Glenwood was flowing at 5,150 cfs with a depth of 5 feet, 8 inches \u2014 down from the Monday high this week of 6,000 cfs and 6 feet, 1 inch.<\/p>\n Just above the confluence on the Roaring Fork River at Veltus Park, the flow in the Fork was topping out at 1,200 cfs with a gage depth of 3 feet, 3 inches. The peak flow on the Roaring Fork at that location last year also came on July 1, at 8,960 cfs.<\/p>\n USGS data goes back to 1906 for that location on the Roaring Fork. The earliest recorded peak came on May 12, 1934, when the flow topped out at 4,100 cfs.<\/p>\n