A much-anticipated recreational boating spill on the lower Dolores River is starting earlier than usual, thanks to a warm spring.
Beginning Wednesday, managers of McPhee Reservoir are ramping up releases from the dam. Flows will hit 800 cubic feet per second, a boatable amount, on Friday, and by Saturday will be at 1,200 cfs. An abnormally warm March has melted high snows early and sent water cascading into the reservoir, which is nearing capacity. In a release, Dolores Water Conservancy District engineer Ken Curtis said recent storms and cloud cover have steadied the inflow, but since farmers have not begun irrigating, McPhee continues to rise. This means boating season will launch early, when temperatures are still chilly. The good news is the rafting season is expected to be lengthy and there will be water to fulfill all allocations to farmers and other users. Reservoir operators are also planning to provide several days of peak flows of 4,000 cfs, enough to scour silt from pools and provide other benefits to the floodplain and riparian habitat. Boaters who make it as far as Bedrock near the Utah border are warned that a temporary low bridge is in place there that allows limited river clearance. A flagger will be stationed at the Bedrock boat ramp to warn rafters and give information.
