The Water Information Program

Flows in the Lower Blue downstream of Dillon Reservoir are rising quickly this week as Denver Water ramps up releases from Dillon Reservoir. "In order to reduce (but not eliminate) the risk of flooding below Dillon Dam, we will be increasing the outflow to the Blue River over the next few days,” Denver Water engineer Bob Steger said via e-mail. "This will create more space in the reservoir to capture the snowmelt,” he said. The above-normal snowpack should help ensure that all West Slope reservoirs fill and spill this year, Pokrandt said. That's good news in the bigger water picture. By some predictions, Lake Powell could rise as much as 50 feet this spring, helping to build Colorado's insurance against a possible downstream call on Colorado River water, Pokrandt added. Runoff into Lake Powell is forecast to be 122 percent of average this year.

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