As of Tuesday, the Animas River was running noticeably low – at 35% normalcy for this time of year, according to a recent SnoFlo report.
According to U.S. Geological Survey data, the streamflow on Tuesday was at 153 cubic feet per second, and its gauge height was measured at 2.17 feet.
Last week, the flow sat around 199 cfs, with the water height resting near the 2.24-foot level, representing a small piece of a larger decline seen historically across the river’s history.
“It's not as low as it was (this time of year) in 2002,” said Jeff Titus, head of water resources at Division 7 of the Southwest Water Conservancy District. “That’s the lowest it’s been in the 25 years I’ve been here.”
Titus was referring specifically to the river level being exceptionally low in 2002, not necessarily the river flow – though the two are related, and can impact one another.
According to river flow and water level forecasting organization Blue Water Intelligence, the flow rate and height of a body of water increase and decrease in tandem, meaning that low flow rates equal low height, and vice versa – though, despite this overlap, record-breaking lows in flow may not always align with record-breaking lows in water height.
Though Titus has seen worse in terms of water level lows, he’s also cognizant of the river’s consistent and continual decline in flow and height over the years.
On Dec. 25 and 26, 2021, the river broke its previous March 2, 1913, record-low flow of 94 cfs by a significant margin, running at only 79.6 cfs. Data on the Animas River is continually collected from the U.S. Geological Survey, as well as the water gauge situated behind the Powerhouse science center. That specific gauge has been collecting data on the river for more than 100 years.
Durango’s river rafting market has seen a decline in relation to the low water level. Mild to Wild will be closing operations early this year as a result, said employee Dakota Buran.
“I would be surprised if we made it through mid-September,” Buran said. “We’ve had to actually go (down to offering) a quarter day instead of doing a half day or full day option, and we’re losing a lot of (tourist customers), just because it’s not going to be in their best interest to come all this way to do one hour on the water.”
Some of the company’s more high-adventure route options have already been closed due to water levels being too low, Buran said.
Aquatic wildlife can also be impacted by low river levels, said John Livingston, spokesman with Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
One effect of low water levels is an overgrowth of riverbed vegetation. Algae, in an attempt to get closer to the sun, may grow thicker and taller than usual, Livingston said.
In the Animas River, blue-green algae blooms, also called cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms, are the most likely culprits of this overgrowth, Livingston said – and excessive overgrowth of this type of algae has the potential to harm wildlife and disrupt aquatic ecosystems.
According to Matthew Aleksa, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, which also serves Durango, rain can be expected Thursday into the weekend – but rainfall levels won’t be nearly enough to positively impact river height.
“While that moisture will increase the chances of showers and thunderstorms, it’s really just going to result more so in the dry variety – so, more lightning, gusty winds, rather than wetting rain,” Aleksa said. “We may see some (moisture) in the higher elevations, but it's not going to be substantial enough to impact river flows.”
epond@durangoherald.com
