Current Status
Last Updated: March 10, 2026
Aspinall Unit Reservoirs – As of March 10, 2026, releases from Crystal Dam is approximately 775 cfs. Flows of the Gunnison River in the Black Canyon are being maintained at about 425 cfs while the Gunnison Tunnel is approximately 350 cfs. Flows in the Whitewater Reach of the Gunnison River are about 1200 cfs.
The unregulated inflow volume in Februay to Blue Mesa was approximately 23,000 af (103 percent of average). Unregulated Inflow volumes forecasted for Blue Mesa for the next three months (March, April, and May) are projected to be: 35,000 af (93 percent of average), 45,000 af (58 percent of average), and 113,000 af (56 percent of average), respectively.
The forecasted 2026 water year unregulated inflow volume to Blue Mesa is projected to be 564,000 af (62 percent of average). The water supply period (April-July) for 2026 is forecasted currently for an unregulated inflow volume of to be 320,000 af of unregulated inflow (49 percent of average).
Under this forecast, operation of Aspinall under the Aspinall Record of Decision (2012) would require a spring peak release to provide 1 day of sustained flows in the Gunnison River in the Whitewater reach at or above 900 cfs. This forecast would also require Aspinall releases to provide a single day peak flow in the Black Canyon of 944 cfs per the Black Canyon Reserved Water Right Decree. Given this current projection of the most probable operating scenario, Blue Mesa is projected to fill to approximately 7,477 feet by late June with approximately 480,000 acre-feet of storage. This is approximately 42 feet from full pool elevation (7519.4 feet) with approximately 348,000 acre-feet 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 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 Reece Carpenter in the Western Colorado Area office at (970) 248-0637.
The next Operations Group meeting will be held on April 23, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. The location is TBD. There will be a hybrid/call-in option. Contact Reece Carpenter in the Western Colorado Area office at (970) 248-0637 for more information regarding this Operation Group meeting.
Update 3/10/2026 - Nathaniel Todea
To view the most current reservoir elevation, content, inflow and release, click on: Blue Mesa Reservoir Data or Crystal Reservoir Data.
