Lower Colorado River Operations Schedule

Note: You may now view this report with near real-time data at this link. The link is updated hourly with our most recent operations data and operational projections.


Releases from Davis and Parker dams will vary from about 1,700 cubic feet per second
(cfs) to 20,000 cfs during a 24-hour period.  River levels will vary during the 24-hour
periods with the higher levels coinciding with periods of peak hydroelectric power
generation.  Levels below the dams are usually highest in the morning and evening.
Average daily releases may vary in response to changing conditions.

Average daily releases and midnight lake elevations for the week, as well as
anticipated averages for the following 2 weeks, are scheduled as follows:


                   Parker              Davis               Hoover
                   Dam       Lake      Dam       Lake      Dam        Lake
                   Average   Havasu    Average   Mohave    Average    Mead
                   Release   Elev.     Release   Elev.     Release    Elev.
       Date        (cfs)     (ft)      (cfs)     (ft)      (cfs)      (ft)
       -----       -----     -----     -----     -----     -----      -----
       May  5      11200     447.6     15900     643.1     16700      1061.1
       May  6      11200     447.6     15900     643.1     16700      1061.0
       May  7      10800     447.6     15900     643.2     16700      1060.8
       May  8       7300     448.0     15900     643.2     16700      1060.6
       May  9      11400     448.0     15900     643.2     16700      1060.4
       May 10      11400     448.0     15900     643.2     16700      1060.3
       May 11      11400     447.9     16300     643.2     16700      1060.1
       
       Average     10700               16000               16700
       
       May 12 to
       May 18      11000     447.9     15700     643.3     16300      1058.9
       
       May 19 to
       May 25      10900     448.2     16000     643.3     16300      1057.7


Current Lake Powell storage is 7,639 thousand acre-feet (KAF) (33 percent of capacity).
Lake Mead storage is 8,593 KAF (33 percent of capacity).  Total system storage is 23,443
KAF (40 percent of capacity).  Lake Powell elevation is 3,557.90 feet.

The April-July unregulated inflow forecast for the Colorado River is 4.30 million acre-
feet or 67 percent of average.

Yesterday, the average Colorado River flows were 548 cfs near the Yuma Fourth Avenue
Bridge and 1,896 cfs at the Northerly International Boundary.  The average release from
Painted Rock Dam was 0 cfs and Alamo Dam was 11 cfs.  The Morelos Dam diversions for the
week of 05-May-2025 are expected to be 1,661 cfs.

ALL RIVER USERS should remember that fluctuating river flows may conceal or create
natural hazards such as moving sandbars, gravel bars, unstable riverbanks, floating or
submerged debris, or other unfamiliar obstacles.  Caution should be exercised while using
the river between Davis Dam and the Mexican Border at San Luis, Arizona.


Last updated: 01-May-2025


Please contact the Water Operations Control Center via e-mail at bcoowaterops@usbr.gov or via phone at (702) 293-8373 for additional questions or information.