Rivers in the Roaring Fork Watershed are flowing mostly below average at 17-116% of normal for this time of year. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the watershed remains entirely in exceptional drought (5 of 5 levels of intensity) - beginning with the Basalt area, parts of the watershed have been at this level since Christmas Day. Despite the return of the monsoonal weather pattern, August precipitation totals have not provided much relief as rain gauges across the watershed have recorded less than half of normal precipitation. Releases from Ruedi Reservoir decreased 115 cfs at the end of last week, but then increased 60 cfs earlier this week, bringing current flows on the lower Fryingpan River to 435 cfs. As a reminder, these releases are being called for by entities with storage rights in the reservoir and they benefit downstream aquatic habitat and regional agricultural production.