Thanks to record high snow melt, releases at Flaming Gorge dam have increased to power plant capacity and are expected to remain at current levels through April and May. March has been warm and dry throughout the Upper Colorado River Basin, except for the Upper Green River. “March inflows are currently record levels,” shares a release from the Bureau of Reclamation, “and additional precipitation is projected through the end of March. It is hydrologically imperative that Flaming Gorge releases be increased to 6,600 cfs.” The Bureau also explains that current snowpack is 157 percent of the average and Flaming Gorge has received 145 percent of the seasonal peak for the Upper Green Basin. It is expected that the capacity releases will continue through the remainder of spring runoff season. For more information on the operations and plans presented by the Bureau of Reclamation, attend the Flaming Gorge Working Group meeting on Thursday, April 20th at 10:00am at the DWR office in Vernal.
