From the Bureau of Reclamation:
“Starting June 8, 2026, Flaming Gorge Dam releases shall begin ramping up to approximately 4,600 cfs for the SMB flow experiment. The experiment is scheduled to last 72 hours and ramp down will begin on June 11, 2026. Reclamation has coordinated with Western Area Power Administration to create the hourly scheduled release pattern for the ramp down period. Please note that releases in this schedule include fluctuations for power generation. Release for June 13, 2026, and thereafter will be covered in a separate notification.
This release plan is subject to change depending on evolving river conditions and weather forecasts.
Those recreating on, working around, or traveling to the Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam should monitor river conditions.
View hourly water release schedules for Flaming Gorge Dam by visiting the Colorado River Basin Forecast Center website: GRZU1
Current Status
As of May 7, 2026 (end of day), Flaming Gorge Reservoir pool elevation is 6019.99 feet, which amounts to 79 percent of live storage capacity. Unregulated inflow volume for the month of April is approximately 51,190 acre-feet (af), which is 41 percent of the average unregulated inflow volume.
The May unregulated inflows into Flaming Gorge for the next three months projects to be much below average. May, June, and July forecasted unregulated inflow volumes are 70,000 af (28 percent of average), 175,000 af (45 percent of average), and 84,000 af (42 percent of average), respectively.
Drought Response Actions
Between 660,000 and one million acre-feet of additional water is being delivered from Flaming Gorge Reservoir to Lake Powell through April 2027 to help keep Lake Powell above critical elevations.
When these supplemental releases began, Flaming Gorge Reservoir was approximately 82% full, holding approximately 3.01 maf of water.
Reclamation and its partners are working to reduce recreational impacts as much as possible.
Recreationists below Flaming Gorge Dam should review posted information, closely monitor changing conditions, and use extreme caution when recreating in or around the Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam. Water will be colder than usual and will run high and swift during periods of elevated releases.
These actions are part of the Drought Response Operations Agreement (DROA), a component of the 2019 Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan for the Upper Colorado River Basin. To read more about the need for 2026-2027 supplemental releases, visit: Reclamation Acts to Protect Colorado River System During Historic Drought.
Reclamation previously implemented DROA operations in 2021 and 2022.
HELPFUL LINKS
What this means:
Flows are going to increase to 4,600 CFS on the evening of June 8 and remain there through June 11. During that timeframe, water temperatures will drop. After the small mouth bass event, water temps will go back to around what they are now and we will have a consistent flow pattern again. Water temperatures are currently hovering around 52 degrees Fahrenheit.
Currently cicadas are on the menu. The most cicada activity is throughout the canyon on the A section. There are some cicadas on B and a few on C. If you aren’t in an area with cicadas, fish an ant or a beetle.
Red Creek is currently running low and clear.
Current water year to date precipitation in the Upper Green River Drainage is 98 percent of normal. Current water year to date precipitation in the Lower Green River Drainage is 92 percent of normal.
