McPhee Release Update for Wednesday April 19, 2023
POSTED BY ERIC SPRAGUE ON APRIL 19, 2023
McPhee is currently releasing approximately 50 CFS for the downstream fishery, which will continue into May when flows are expected to increase.
As of the mid-April forecast, the Basin River Forecast Center estimates there is a 70% probability that total APR-JUL inflows into McPhee will be at or above 500,000 AF. The size and timing of the spill are still unknown, but a start date in mid to late May is still expected. McPhee reservoir’s water surface elevation has risen above 6890 FT, gaining more than 50,000 AF, primarily on lower elevation snow.
USBR will host a public meeting on the spill at the Dolores Community Center at 6:00 PM on Thursday May 4th.
As usual, we will continue to monitor conditions and will update this page as McPhee fills and the season develops.
For more details on the current official forecast, go to https://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/wsup/graph/front/espplot_dg.html?year=2021&id=MPHC2
Useful Links:
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
Bureau of Land Management: https://www.blm.gov/visit/dolores-river-srma
The BLM has a detailed boating map of the Dolores river posted on their website. Link below.
BLM Avenza Map page for the Dolores: https://www.blm.gov/documents/colorado/public-room/map/colorado-dolores-river-100k-boating-map-17×40
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: