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| (Above) The Fry-Ark proudly celebrates its 50th Anniversary! Click the photo to see the commemorative film! |
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| (Above) Looking across the outlet works and spillway of Ruedi Dam as it releases into the Fryingpan River. |
Ruedi Reservoir
Time to celebrate! August 2012 marks a historical time for the Fryingpan-Arkansas water project. It is now officially 50 years old!
Reclamation together with the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District is planning celebratory events and outreach initiatives. Saturday, August 18, the agencies will host a free public event day at Lake Pueblo State Park. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will include free pontoon boat rides around the reservoir and free tours of the Pueblo Fish Hatchery located below Pueblo Dam. Speakers, films, and displays will be open to the public at the Lake Pueblo Visitor's Center. Be sure to join us!
Equally exciting is the new commemorative film by Reclamation summarizing the proud legacy of the project. The Fryingpan-Arkansas Project film, Fifty Years of Golden Benefits will be premiered at the event weekend, August 17-18.
Reclamation and its partners are not the only ones celebrating this year. All across Colorado, water anniversaries are taking place. To learn more, visit the official Colorado Water 2012 webpage.
Water Supply Update
Drought conditions continue across Colorado. As a result, for the first time in almost 15 years, Ruedi Reservoir is one of several reservoirs responding to a senior water right call downstream on the Colorado River near Cameo.
The senior Cameo call, plus normal demands for contracting water and water for endangered fish, have keep a fairly steady draw on Ruedi Reservoir this summer.
Currently, the reservoir is about 80% full--a bit higher than most reservoirs in the state this year. Releases have bounced between 190 and 245 cfs as we respond to the various downstream demands.
The 10,825 EA
The first week of April, Reclamation announced the availability of the Finding of No Significant Impact and Final Environmental Assessment for proposed contracts for the water users' commitment to provide 10,825 acre-feet of water to critical habitat of the upper Colorado River.
The 15-Mile Reach of the river, upstream of the Gunnison and Colorado rivers confluence in Grand Junction, Colo. has been identified as critical habitat under the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program.
In 2010, Reclamation began studying the proposed contracts under the National Environmental Policy Act. The findings of that study are now available in the Final EA.
Other Links
- Weather, reservoir elevation, and other data is available via the Ruedi weather station.
- The USGS page for streamflow below Ruedi Dam provides up-to-date information for water released to the lower Fryingpan in cfs measurements.
- This graphic displays the fill and draw pattern at Ruedi Reservoir over the past five years.
Information on Ruedi Reservoir and releases to the Fryingpan River can also be obtained by joining the e-mail notification list. To join the list, please contact Kara Lamb.
Current Events and Additional Information
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Last Updated: August 20, 2012