McPhee Release Update for Thursday June 22, 2023

McPhee is full and the ramp-down of the managed release has begun.

McPhee is currently releasing 1,110 CFS downstream. Starting today, releases will mimic the pattern of inflows into the reservoir minus diversions (predicted to be about 700-800 CFS over the next week) and will vary throughout the day.

Based on the current inflow forecast, downstream releases are expected to be about 600-800 CFS on average this weekend, June 24th & 25th, with diurnal changes above and below that range. Afterwards, releases are expected to decrease on average over a period of about 10 days until downstream releases reach the planned base flow of 75 CFS.

As always, the forecast can change, and the remaining length of the spill is unknown. Particularly at the end of the spill, releases below McPhee can change at any time.

CBRFC produces a daily inflow forecast that provides an idea of what inflows to expect moving forward. It is a model and therefore bears a measure of uncertainty, but it may still be an informative source when releases begin mimicking the river. You can find it at https://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/dbdata/station/flowgraph/flowgraph_hc.html?id=MPHC2&ptype=2&linear_flow=0.

American Whitewater has asked us to post a link to their online rafter survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DoloresBoaters2023.

For more details on the current official forecast, go to https://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/wsup/graph/front/espplot_dg.html?year=2023&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:

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