With peak runoff expected in the next several days, Ruedi Reservoir is reaching capacity.
Officials at the Bureau of Reclamation say the reservoir will be 100 percent full by July 4, and with higher than average snowpack, they’ve increased flows out of the reservoir to 800 cubic feet per second.
James Bishop is with the Bureau of Reclamation. He says spring releases have been higher than average and the extra water will help endangered fish downstream in the Colorado River. More water in the river means less sediment buildup in the habitat of rare fish, like the humpback chub, razorback sucker, and bonytail chub.
Heather Lewin with the Roaring Fork Conservancy says the releases mimic natural flows that flush out the river. This year, the extra water quadrupled the Fryingpan River’s volume. That’s good for fish, but faster water makes it difficult to wade into the river to catch them.