Weekly River Report
October 15, 2026
Summary:
Rivers in the Roaring Fork Watershed are flowing 64-239% of normal for this time of year. Rain, and snow at higher elevations, provided a boost to local stream flows over the last week. Precipitation was most notable in the Crystal River Valley where Schofield Pass, the headwaters of the Crystal River, recorded 7” of snow accumulation by Wednesday afternoon. Warming temperatures are melting the newly fallen high elevation snow which is contributing to increased flows throughout the watershed, including the Crystal River - since last week the gauge at Redstone went from 63 cfs to 164 cfs and the gauge at the fish hatchery went from 53 cfs to 220 cfs. Despite the precipitation, the cumulative effect of 16 months of record high temperatures and consistently low precipitation is keeping the Roaring Fork Watershed in extreme and exceptional drought. Releases from Ruedi Reservoir decreased by 50 cfs earlier today, bringing flows on the lower Fryingpan River to 74 cfs.
Calling All River Users to Protect Waterways from New Threats
It is time for every water user to take seriously their role in being a river steward. After you fish, boat, kayak, or stand-up paddleboard CLEAN, DRAIN, and DRY all your gear. Every time. Yes, really, every time.