Current Status
Last Updated: July 3, 2024
Aspinall Unit Reservoirs – As of July 2, 2024 (end of day), releases from Crystal Dam are approximately 1,600 cfs. Flows of the Gunnison River in the Black Canyon are being maintained at about 600 cfs while the Gunnison Tunnel is diverting 1,050 cfs. Flows in the Whitewater Reach of the Gunnison River are about 3,500 cfs and is decreasing.
The unregulated inflow volume in June to Blue Mesa was 322,000 af (129 percent of average). Unregulated inflow volumes forecasted for Blue Mesa for the next three months (July, August, and September) are projected to be: 101,000 af (94 percent of average), 54,000 af (94 percent of average), and 36,000 af (103 percent of average), respectively.
The forecasted 2024 water year unregulated inflow volume to Blue Mesa is projected to be 913,000 af (101 percent of average). The water supply period (April-July) for 2024, which is now coming close to the end, is projected to be 660,000 af of unregulated inflow (104 percent of average).
Given this current projection of the most probable operating scenario, Blue Mesa is projected to fill to approximately 7,498 feet from early July to mid July with approximately 643,000 af of storage. This is approximately 21 feet from full pool elevation (7519.4 feet) with approximately 185,000 af of unfilled storage space in Blue Mesa Reservoir.
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 in August 2024 at a date TBD in Gunnison, Colorado (tentative). Details on the meeting will be provided as we get closer to the meeting date. This will be an in-person meeting with an option for remote participation. Contact Erik Knight in the Grand Junction Area Office at (970) 248-0629 to get more information regarding this Operation Group meeting.
Update 7/3/2024 - Nathaniel Todea
To view the most current reservoir elevation, content, inflow and release, click on: Blue Mesa Reservoir Data or Crystal Reservoir Data.
