Current Status
Last Updated: July 7, 2026
Aspinall Unit Reservoirs – As of July 6, 2026, releases from Crystal Dam are approximately 1,425 cfs. Flows of the Gunnison River in Black Canyon are near 390 cfs and flows in the Whitewater Reach of the Gunnison River are approximately 800 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 700 cfs for July 2026.
The current 2026 water year unregulated inflow volume forecast for Blue Mesa is 381,000 af (42 percent of average). The unregulated inflow forecast for the 2026 water supply period (April-July) is 151,000 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 7407.60 feet and 125,000 af (13 percent of live capacity).
Unregulated inflow in June to Blue Mesa was 44,000 af (18 percent of average). The unregulated inflow forecast to Blue Mesa for July, August, and September is 15,000 af (14 percent of average), 24,000 af (42 percent of average), and 17,000 af (49 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 700 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 Working 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 Working 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 in August, time and date to be determined. Contact Andrew Limbach in the Western Colorado Area office at (970) 248-0644 for more information regarding this Operation Group meeting.
Update 7/7/2026 - Alexander Walker
To view the most current reservoir elevation, content, inflow and release, click on: Blue Mesa Reservoir Data or Crystal Reservoir Data.
