From the Bureau of Reclamation:
“Releases will vary throughout the baseflow season. Reclamation has coordinated with Western Area Power Administration to create hourly scheduled release patterns, which include fluctuations for power generation.
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 October 4, 2026 (end of day), Flaming Gorge Reservoir pool elevation is 6006.82 feet, which amounts to 68 percent of live storage capacity. Unregulated inflow volume for the month of September totaled approximately 37,019 acre-feet (af), which is 80 percent of the average unregulated inflow volume.
The October unregulated inflows into Flaming Gorge for the next three months projects to be below average. October, November, and December forecasted unregulated inflow volumes are 35,000 af (66 percent of average), 39,000 af (79 percent of average), and 29,000 af (88 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
To view the most current reservoir elevation, content, inflows and releases, visit: Flaming Gorge Reservoir Data.
For more information about boat ramp elevations and operability, visit: U.S. Forest Service: Flaming Gorge Recreation Updates.
For information about flows below the dam, visit the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center’s GRZUI Reservoir Outflow Hydropgraph: GRZU1”
What this means:
Flows have been consistently inconsistent for the majority of the year. Throughout the day we see 1900, 2800, 2200, and 1900 CFS. The fish have adapted to all thees fluctuating flows. River temperatures are around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
The last storm cycle did not dampen the terrestrial bite. I would assume we still have another few good weeks of ant fishing. We are seeing midge hatches, pseudos, baetis, and some caddis hatching throughout the day. Early in the morning, in the evening, in the off color water, and during the rain the streamer fishing has been good. Honestly, the fishing is great on the Utah Green River right now.
Red Creek is currently running off color due to all of the recent precipitation, but should clear throughout the weekend.
Current water year to date precipitation in the Upper Green River Drainage is 236 percent of normal. Current water year to date precipitation in the Lower Green River Drainage is 254 percent of normal.