Current Status
Last Updated: August 7, 2026
Aspinall Unit Reservoirs – As of August 07, 2026, releases from Crystal Dam are approximately 1,320 cfs. Flows of the Gunnison River in Black Canyon are near 310 cfs and flows in the Whitewater Reach of the Gunnison River are approximately 520 cfs. Per the 2012 Aspinall ROD, reductions in baseflow targets are allowed under severe drought. In consultation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the baseflow target at Whitewater (USGS gage 09152500) is 500 cfs for August 2026.
The current 2026 water year unregulated inflow volume forecast for Blue Mesa is 385,000 af (43 percent of average). The unregulated inflow forecast for the 2026 water supply period (April-July) is 155,000 af (24 percent of average). Conditions are very dry and Blue Mesa Reservoir will not fill this year. Current projections indicate Blue Mesa storage will continue to decrease, ending water year 2026 with a projected elevation and storage of 7,412.01 feet and 140,000 af (17 percent of live capacity).
Unregulated inflow in July to Blue Mesa was 19,300 af (18 percent of average). The unregulated inflow forecast to Blue Mesa for August, September and October is 23,000 af (40 percent of average), 17,000 af (49 percent of average), and 21,000 af (58 percent of average), respectively.
In response to extreme drought conditions in the Gunnison River Basin, Reclamation has collaborated with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, reducing baseflow targets at Whitewater to 500 cfs until further notice. Baseflow targets were adjusted to conserve reservoir storage and preserve an instream flow in a manner consistent with the authorized purposes of the Aspinall Unit.
The Aspinall Unit Operations Group is an open public forum for information exchange between Reclamation and the stakeholders of the Aspinall Unit. The public is encouraged to attend and comment on the operations and plans presented by Reclamation at these meetings. Meeting notes from past working Group meetings are posted on the Operations Group webpage. For more information on this group and these meetings please contact Andrew Limbach in the Western Colorado Area office at (970) 248-0644.
The next Operations Group meeting will be held on Thursday, August 27, at 1:00 pm in the Western Colorado Area Office Conference Room A (445 W. Gunnison Ave., Suite 220). This meeting is open to the public with a virtual option using Microsoft Teams. The conference room has a limited capacity, so please notify Andrew Limbach at alimbach@usbr.gov if you plan to attend in person.
Updated 8/7/2026 - Alexander Walker
To view the most current reservoir elevation, content, inflow and release, click on: Blue Mesa Reservoir Data or Crystal Reservoir Data.
