Green River Basin

Press Release, March 6, 2023

Drought Response Releases Suspended at Flaming Gorge Reservoir Wyoming, along with Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and the Bureau of Reclamation, has agreed to suspend drought response releases from Flaming Gorge Reservoir beginning on March 7 th . Suspending additional releases now will help to begin rebuilding storage in Flaming Gorge. 

Since last May, additional water has been released from Flaming Gorge to help protect critical

infrastructure and maintain hydropower generation at Glen Canyon Dam. Poor water supply conditions raised concerns that Lake Powell would drop below an elevation of 3,490 feet which would limit water releases and prevent hydropower generation. However, due to the success of actions taken to address declining Lake Powell elevations, as well as improved water supply conditions this year, additional water releases from Flaming Gorge are no longer needed in the near term. The currently projected wet conditions provide a critical opportunity to prepare for future dry conditions by retaining storage in Flaming Gorge.

The additional drought response releases from Flaming Gorge have been made pursuant to the 2022 Drought Response Operations Plan, and were scheduled to be made through April 2023 and total 500,000 acre-feet of water. Suspending those releases for the remainder of March and April will result in approximately 36,000 to 37,000 acre-feet less water being released than was originally planned. Even with reduced inflow from Flaming Gorge, current projections indicate that Lake Powell elevations will stay well above 3,490 feet through water year 2023.

Wyoming recognizes that the ongoing drought requires prudent management of available Colorado River flows and monitoring of Lake Powell elevations and risk to critical infrastructure at Glen Canyon Dam. However, given the wetter than average conditions in the Upper Colorado River Basin, Wyoming, working with the Bureau of Reclamation and the other Colorado River Basin states, intends to seek recovery of additional storage in Flaming Gorge this year.

5/23/2023 Fontenelle Reservoir Operations Update

Based on increasing reservoir inflows, releases from Fontenelle Dam are scheduled to be increased from 3,500 cfs to 4,500 cfs on May 24, 2023 beginning at 10:00 am MDT (local time) according to the following schedule. Bypass will be used to achieve the needed releases as scheduled above. Power release is currently at the maximum allowed release at the current pool elevation and will not change. The average daily release of 4,500 cfs will continue until further notice.  

5/18/2023 Flaming Gorge Reservoir Operations Update

The Yampa River is projected to exceed Flood Stage of 20,744 cfs on May 20, 2023, reaching a peak of approximately 24,400 cfs on May 26, 2023. The projected peak flow exceeds the threshold for moderate flooding.  For more detailed information on Yampa River flows, please see the CBRFC website: https://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/dbdata/station/flowgraph/flowgraph_hc.html?id=YDLC2&linear_flow=0# 

The Green River near Jensen is projected to exceed Flood stage on May 23, 2023, reaching a maximum projected flow of approximately 24,800 cfs on May 26, 2023.  Releases from Flaming Gorge Reservoir are planned to remain at the minimum release of 800 cfs.  Also, the Flaming Gorge spring peak release is not planned to be implemented until after the Yampa River has started to decrease.  The spring peak releases are planned to be implemented to achieve Reach 2 targets of 18,600 cfs, much below the flood stage of 24,100 cfs in the Jensen Area. For more information regarding projected flows on the Green River near Jensen, please visit the following website: https://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/dbdata/station/flowgraph/flowgraph_hc.html?id=JESU1&linear_flow=0# 

Forecasted (tentative) hourly release schedules for Flaming Gorge Reservoir can be found by visiting the Colorado River Basin Forecast Center at this website: https://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?GRZU1.  Additionally, the Green River near Green River, Utah is projected to exceed the Action Stage of 32,209 cfs on May 24, 2023, reaching an estimated peak of about 35,000 cfs on May 26th, 2023. For more information regarding projected flows on the Green River near Green River, Utah, please visit the following website: https://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/dbdata/station/flowgraph/flowgraph_hc.html?id=GRVU1&linear_flow=0.

Please use caution when recreating on or near swift moving water.

5/17/2023 Fontenelle Reservoir Operations Update

Based on increasing reservoir inflows, releases from Fontenelle Dam are scheduled to be increased from 3,500 cfs to 3,850 cfs on May 18, 2023 beginning at 10:00 am MDT (local time). Bypass will be used to achieve the needed releases. Power release is currently at the maximum allowed release at the current pool elevation and will not change. The average daily release of 3,850 cfs will continue until further notice.

5/15/2023 Fontenelle Reservoir Operations Update

Based on increasing reservoir inflows, releases from Fontenelle Dam are scheduled to be increased from 2,450 cfs to 3,500 cfs on May 15, 2023 beginning at 4:00 pm MDT (local time) according to the following schedule. Bypass will be used to achieve the needed releases as scheduled above. Power release is currently at the maximum allowed release at the current pool elevation and will not change. The average daily release of 3,500 cfs will continue until further notice.

5/1/2023 Flaming Gorge Reservoir Operations Update

4/2/2023 Flaming Gorge Reservoir Operations Update

Due to continuing maintenance needs, the daily average release from Flaming Gorge Dam is scheduled to remain at 800 cfs. Releases will be made through either the bypass or the power plant but are planned to be maintained at 800 cfs total release at all times with no hourly fluctuations. The average daily release of 800 cfs will continue until a new notification is sent.      

3/24/2023 Flaming Gorge Reservoir Operations Update

I wanted to clarify the previous notification. I erroneously included a sentence stating the hourly release schedules may include daily fluctuations to meet power demand contracts. The minimum Flaming Gorge streamflow release is 800 cfs, so when the average daily release is adjusted to 800 cfs on March 27th, there will not be any hourly fluctuations in the release schedule.  Daily releases will be a flat 800 cfs. The forecasted (tentative) hourly release schedules have been updated on the Colorado River Basin Forecast Center at this website: https://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?GRZU1. Tabulated hourly data can be found on the same page under the link, “Hourly Forecast Flow csv” in the lower right hand corner of the webpage. This data is considered the most likely scenario given the current forecast, is general, and is subject to changing conditions. 

3/23/2023 Flaming Gorge Reservoir Operations Update

Flaming Gorge Dam will be undergoing regularly scheduled maintenance over the next couple of weeks. Accordingly, the daily average release from Flaming Gorge Dam is scheduled to be decreased beginning on March 27th, 2023 from 925 cfs to 800 cfs. During the period from March 27th at 7:00 am MDT (local time) through March 31st at 5:00 pm MDT, releases will be made through either the bypass or the power plant but are planned to be maintained at 800 cfs total release at all times. The average daily release of 800 cfs will continue until a new notification is sent. Hourly release schedules issued by WAPA for power production may include daily fluctuations to meet power demand contracts.  

3/14/2023 Flaming Gorge Reservoir Operations Update

Based on improvements in the current hydrology, as well as the current reservoir conditions, Reclamation managers and operators deem it prudent to make additional operational adjustments consistent with the 2006 Record of Decision.  The daily average release from Flaming Gorge Dam is scheduled to be decreased beginning on March 16, 2023 from 1,175 cfs to 925 cfs according to the schedule below. The average daily release of 925 cfs will continue until a new notification is sent. Hourly release schedules issued by WAPA for power production may include daily fluctuations to meet power demand contracts.     

2/1/2023 Flaming Gorge Reservoir Operations Update

The hourly pattern for releases from Flaming Gorge Dam is scheduled to be adjusted based on the following chart beginning on February 1, 2023.  The current average daily release of 1,760 cfs remains unchanged and will continue until a new notification is sent.  Hourly release schedules issued by WAPA for power production may include daily fluctuations to meet power demand contracts. 

12/6/2022 Flaming Gorge Reservoir Operations Update

The daily average release from Flaming Gorge Dam is scheduled to be increased beginning on December 8, 2022 from 1,700 cfs to 1,760 cfs according to the schedule below. The average daily release of 1,760 cfs will continue until a new notification is sent. Hourly release schedules issued by WAPA for power production may include daily fluctuations to meet power demand contracts.   

11/30/2022 Flaming Gorge Reservoir Operations Update

The hourly release pattern from Flaming Gorge is scheduled to be adjusted tomorrow (December 1, 2022) based on power demand/contracting considerations according to the following graph.  This hourly pattern is similar to patterns discussed in a coordination meeting earlier this year with WAPA, the Green River Outfitters and Guides Association (GROGA), and others and represents a compromise between power generation and Green River recreation interests. The daily average release will remain at 1,700 cfs and will continue until a new notification is sent. Hourly release schedules issued by WAPA for power production may include additional daily fluctuations to meet power demand contracts.  

11/17/2022 Flaming Gorge Boat Ramp Update (Anvil Closure)

The following notice was developed jointly with the National Forest Service:

CLOSURE - Anvil Draw Boat Launch Area

The Anvil Draw Boat Launch Area, located approximately 11 miles northeast of Manilla, Utah, is the first boat ramp impacted by decreasing water levels at Flaming Gorge Dam and became inoperable this week as the reservoir's elevation dropped below 6,011 feet.

As the Colorado River Basin has been experiencing prolonged drought and low runoff conditions, Lake Powell and Lake Mead storages have declined to record-low levels. Lake Powell is at risk of declining below the minimum power pool elevation of 3,490 feet, at which point it can no longer generate hydropower. To help address these declining levels, Reclamation is releasing additional water from Flaming Gorge and future releases will be considered in operational year 2023-2024.

Reclamation completed a Bathymetric survey to verify the bottom elevations of 10 boat ramps to track when they could become inoperable. 

The only dock that is projected to be impacted in water year 2023 is the Anvil Draw Boat Launch Area. 

Flaming Gorge's elevation is expected to continue to decline throughout the fall and winter months, temporarily dropping to an elevation of around 6,008 feet until spring runoff. 

To view the full boat ramp survey, visit: Flaming Gorge Reservoir 2022 Boat Ramps Survey (usbr.gov)

Current Flaming Gorge Reservoir elevations can be found here: 40-Day Data | Water Operations | UC Region | Bureau of Reclamation (usbr.gov)

11/4/2022 Flaming Gorge Reservoir Operations Update

The daily average release from Flaming Gorge Dam is scheduled to be decreased beginning on November 6, 2022 from 1,760 cfs to 1,700 cfs according to the schedule below. The average daily release of 1,700 cfs will continue until a new notification is sent. Hourly release schedules issued by WAPA for power production may include daily fluctuations to meet power demand contracts. 

11/1/2022 Flaming Gorge Boat Ramp Survey Report

The Provo Area Office of the Bureau of Reclamation completed a Bathymetric survey at each of the Flaming Gorge boat ramps and marinas in June 2022 in response to questions regarding boat ramp elevations.  The attached report summarizes the survey and findings. 

10/31/2022 Fontenelle Reservoir Operations Update

The Fontenelle Power Plant is undergoing maintenance until further notice.  Releases may switch intermittently between the bypass and power plant, though releases will remain at 1,000 cfs. 

10/19/2022 Flaming Gorge Reservoir Operations Update

The daily average release from Flaming Gorge Dam is scheduled to be decreased beginning on October 20, 2022 from 1,820 cfs to 1,760 cfs according to the schedule below. The average daily release of 1,760 cfs will continue until a new notification is sent. Hourly release schedules issued by WAPA for power production may include daily fluctuations to meet power demand contracts. 

9/22/2022 Flaming Gorge Reservoir Operations Update

Due to increased Yampa River flows, the daily average release from Flaming Gorge Dam is scheduled to be decreased beginning on September 23, 2022 from 1,880 cfs to 1,820 cfs according to the schedule below. The average daily release of 1,820 cfs will continue until a new notification is sent. Hourly release schedules issued by WAPA for power production may include daily fluctuations to meet power demand contracts.  

9/13/2022 Flaming Gorge Reservoir Operations Update

Due to increased Yampa River flows, the daily average release from Flaming Gorge Dam is scheduled to be decreased beginning on September 15, 2022 from 1,940 cfs to 1,880 cfs according to the schedule below. The average daily release of 1,880 cfs will continue until a new notification is sent. Hourly release schedules issued by WAPA for power production may include daily fluctuations to meet power demand contracts. 

9/2/2022 Fontenelle Reservoir Operations Update

Releases from Fontenelle Dam are scheduled to be decreased from 1,100 cfs to 1,000 cfs September 6th, 2022 beginning at 10:00 am MDT. 

8/30/2022 Flaming Gorge Reservoir Operations Update

Beginning on September 1, 2022, the daily average release from Flaming Gorge Dam is scheduled be increased from 1,820 cfs to 1,880 cfs according to the schedule below. The average daily release of 1,880 cfs will continue until a new notification is sent. Hourly release schedules issued by WAPA for power production may include daily fluctuations to meet power demand contracts.  

8/22/2022 Flaming Gorge Reservoir Operations Update

6/15/2022 Flaming Gorge Reservoir Operations Update

Bureau of Reclamation Flaming Gorge Operations