Current Status

Last Updated: April 10, 2023

Aspinall Unit Reservoirs – As of April 10, 2023, releases from Crystal Dam are approximately 700 cfs. Flows of the Gunnison River in the Black Canyon are being maintained at about 360 cfs while the Gunnison Tunnel is diverting 320 cfs. Flows in the Whitewater Reach of the Gunnison River are about 1,680 cfs.

The unregulated inflow volume in March to Blue Mesa was 24,600 af (65 percent of average). Unregulated Inflow volumes forecasted for Blue Mesa for the next three months (April, May and June) are projected to be: 60,000 af (77 percent of average), 265,000 af (132 percent of average) and 395,000 af (158 percent of average), respectively. The April 24-Month Study will be reflective of these new forecasted inflows.

The forecasted 2023 water year unregulated inflow volume to Blue Mesa is projected to be 1,101,000 af (122 percent of average). The water supply period (April-July) for 2023 is forecasted to be 850,000 af of unregulated inflow (134 percent of average).

Blue Mesa elevation has been steady over the past month and as of April 10, 2022, was 7,448.48 feet above sea level corresponding to a live storage of 301,040 acre-feet which is 36 percent of capacity. By the end of water year 2023 (September 30, 2023) Blue Mesa elevation is projected to be approximately 7,502 feet with about 675,000 acre-feet of storage which will be 82 percent of capacity.

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 comments 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 Erik Knight in the Grand Junction Area Office at (970) 248-0629.

The next Operations Group meeting will be held April 20, 2023 at 1:00 p.m., in person in Grand Junction Colorado and also broadcast virtually. The in-person meeting will be at Reclamation’s Western Colorado Area Office located at located at 445 West Gunnison Avenue in Grand Junction, Colorado. Contact Erik Knight in the Grand Junction Area Office at (970) 248-0629 to get more information regarding this Operation Group meeting.

Updated 4/10/2023
Rick Clayton - Aspinall Operations

To view the most current reservoir elevation, content, inflow and release, click on: Blue Mesa Reservoir Data or Crystal Reservoir Data.