All the Colorado Rivers Reaching Flood Levels
With all of the rain and snow, we received this winter and early spring, it's no surprise rivers would be running high.
Colorado's snowpack is still very high, at 625% of normal as of last week, and all that snow has to go somewhere when it melts. And rivers in the state are normally able to take all of that water on. But when there is so much of it, there isn't anywhere else for it to go, and that's where flooding comes in.
So where are the areas of concern?
According to the National Weather Service, these areas may see some flooding.
Rio Grande River
Around Del Norte, the flood level is currently at 5.49 feet. Flooding begins at 5.5 feet, so very close, although the flooding is expected to be minor.
Gunnison River-Grand Junction
Flood stage for the Gunnison is 13 feet and currently sits at 11.56 feet with more melting pushing the river to over 12 feet. With no additional rain in the forecast, though, it may stay within its banks.
Eagle River-Gypsum
Flood stage for the Eagle River is nine feet. The river is currently running at 8.23 feet. While high, it is not expected to seriously overflow its banks, but as with the others, bears watching if the weather turns.
San Juan River-Pagosa Springs
The river is just over nine and one-half feet, with the flood level at 10.5 feet. Runoff this week is expected to push the river close to its banks at 10.31 feet.
Keep an eye on water levels if you are planning to get into the water this week or weekend. And remember to take all the proper precautions.