March 11, 2008--Spill thrills ahead (Durango Herald)
The lower stretches of the San Juan in Utah are already running high due to water releases from Navajo Dam. On Wednesday, the lower stretch of the river near Bluff was running at more than 5,000 cubic feet per second, and a fat snowpack promises to keep the water flowing out of Navajo Dam and the river at runnable levels for months to come. And this week brought more good news for rafters, kayakers and canoeists, and it concerns one of the more elusive river stretches in the region. "When I took over as general manager of the Dolores Water Conservancy District in mid-October, the mountains were bare and stayed that way right through Thanksgiving," said Michael Preston in a release issued by the district. "Since then, a wave of storms has resulted in a snowpack that is holding at about 160 percent of average, the second best in 22 years." What does that mean for rafting the Dolores below McPhee Reservoir, a stretch that even in "good" water years can usually be rafted for only a week, sometimes less right around Memorial Day? It means a real season, and it's forecasted to last for the months of April, May and June.
To view the full article, visit the Durango Herald. For a copy of the original article contact the WIP at (970) 247-1302 or stop by the office at 841 East Second Avenue in Durango.