Current Status
Last Updated: October 2, 2026
As of October 1, 2026, releases from Crystal Dam are approximately 770 cfs. Flows of the Gunnison River in the Black Canyon are being maintained at about 210 cfs while the Gunnison Tunnel is diverting about 560 cfs. Flows in the Whitewater Reach of the Gunnison River are about 1200 cfs and decreasing.
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 unregulated inflow volume in September to Blue Mesa was approximately 22,000 af (63 percent of average). Unregulated Inflow volumes forecasted for Blue Mesa for the next three months (October, November, and December) are projected to be: 29,000 af (80 percent of average), 20,000 af (67 percent of average) and 16,000 af (64 percent of average), respectively.
The forecasted 2027 water year unregulated inflow volume to Blue Mesa is projected to be 800,000 af (89 percent of average). The water supply period (April-July) for 2027 is forecasted currently for an unregulated inflow volume of to be 600,000 af of unregulated inflow (92 percent of average).
Blue Mesa elevation has decreased since late March in water year 2026. On January 19, 2026, the elevation of Blue Mesa reached its peak for the year at 7468.60 feet above sea level and Blue Mesa storage reached 51% of full. Blue Mesa ended water year 2026 (September 30, 2026) at an elevation of 7413.20 feet with about 143,500 af of storage which was 17 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 comment on the operations and plans presented by Reclamation at these meetings. The next Operations Group meeting will be held in January 2027. A specific date and location has yet to be determined. For more information on this group and these meetings please contact Andrew Limbach in the Western Colorado Area office at (970) 248-0644 or alimbach@usbr.gov.
Updated October 02, 2026 - Nathaniel Todea
To view the most current reservoir elevation, content, inflow and release, click on: Blue Mesa Reservoir Data or Crystal Reservoir Data.
