# flows Rio grande race course.



## mark_vanis (Aug 7, 2013)

What are good flows for the race course? Does anyone know the current flows?


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

Irrigation has started and the flow just dropped off. Personally I enjoy the Racecourse at flows close to and above 300 CFS in a kayak. Current level is 442. Here is the gauge:

USGS Current Conditions for USGS 08279500 RIO GRANDE AT EMBUDO, NM


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## abron (Nov 19, 2004)

well sheeeit. see what happens when i go to work for a week straight almost. i guess i knew it was coming. I guess i got fortunate last week... got a 'peak' run at 711cfs on 3/30... you can see on the graph, the day after we last did the LTB, the steady decline started... sigh...

So the Racecourse is runnable all the way down to 200-ish. I have guided it for a whole summer with the lowest level being 160 or so. i wouldnt say thats fun by any means though. twas character building, and i would just go climbing or mtn biking if it was that low. (or go to colorado...) 
Like Logan said its plenty fun at 428 cfs. still nice to get wet all the way down to 200-ish, there are still channels and eddylines deep enough to playboat and roll at...you just hhave to know where they are....
We can still run the Lower Taos Box too, its just a lot more scrapey in a couple spots.... (yellowbank, powerline, screeaming Right, and the runout of sunset get mighty shallow. Powerline is pretty much a portage or wheel chair into a mank pile type option.) its actually pretty fun and creeky, just a loooong day. so start early, and bring lunch.


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## desertSherpa (Feb 27, 2013)

lmyers,
Where did you find that irrigation has started? I felt that the flows on the Box through the Racecourse dropped due to lower temperatures in the basin this last week.
Also the gauge you quoted has the confluence w/ the Embudo which is artificially high.
This one is better as its up above the state park right after the Red coming out of the box confluence:

USGS Current Conditions for USGS 08276500 RIO GRANDE BLW TAOS JUNCTION BRIDGE NEAR TAOS, NM

Coming out of Albuquerque, below 300cfs is about where I feel I gotta be really desperate for boating. Its usually always runnable above 250. 

We ran yesterday in the low 400's and it was quite good.


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## ukonom (Nov 21, 2008)

I drove through the San Luis Valley last week and irrigation season has definitely started. If you look at the Rio Grande near Lobatos gauge you can see the drop shortly after April 1st that reflects upstream diversions.

Detail Graph


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

Ukonom is correct, and I prefer the Embudo gauge because it includes the Rio Pueblo which is a large tributary. What do you mean the Embudo is artificially high? The Embudo is not flowing/contributing significant flows....yet.


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## rivervibe (Apr 24, 2007)

There is a guage at the Taos Junction Bridge too which includes the inflow from the Rio Pueblo (at the very end of the Lower Taos Box). Neither it, nor the guage at the Embudo are entirely accurate. There are numerous springs which creep into the Rio all along the state park section and through the Racecourse. The guage at Embudo is closer the RC section, but does include the added Embudo flow, though it's only running like 20 or 30 cfs. 

We knew they were going to drop the flows for irrigation a few weeks ago. I was surprised it took them this long. Yes, this could have been the peak.


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## desertSherpa (Feb 27, 2013)

Yeah its a shame that was probably the peak until the monsoons hit. 
We may get 1 more spring surge when Taos begins to melt, hopefully.


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## mark_vanis (Aug 7, 2013)

FLOWS ARE DROPPING A TON!!! now only at 320!!! any one know why? will flows go up at all???


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

mark_vanis said:


> FLOWS ARE DROPPING A TON!!! now only at 320!!! any one know why? will flows go up at all???


So San Luis Valley farmers can grow potatoes....there is a good chance it will come back up briefly when the NM Sangre's melt, but I don't have much faith that it will go higher than what it was.

Here is a little info about the irrigation situation if you feel like doing some reading:

"The total annual water supply to the San Luis Valley averages about 2,500,000 acre-feet. About 1,500,000 acrefeet is streamflow derived chiefly from snowmelt in the surrounding mountains and 1,000,000 acre-feet is from precipitation on the valley floor. Discharge of water from the valley averages about 2,000,000 acre-feet per year by evapotranspiration and about 500,000 acre-feet per year as stream flow and ground-water underflow across the state line. The annual streamflow at the state line averages 445,000 acre-feet and ground-water underflow accounts for the remainder, currently estimated at 55,000 acre-feet. About one-half of the evapotranspiration is nonbeneficial; that is, it does not contribute to the growth of plants having economic value. Much of the nonbeneficial consumption is by phreatophytes, mostly greasewood (Sarcobatus), rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus), and saltgrass (Distichlis), in areas where the depth to water is less than 12 feet."

https://nmgs.nmt.edu/publications/guidebooks/.../22/22_p0129_p0132.pdf

Bureau of Reclamation - San Luis Valley Project


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## desertSherpa (Feb 27, 2013)

I found the water that is missing from the Rio Grande in NM
Rio Grand Diversion Near Alamosa


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## southbound (May 20, 2008)

All the New Mexico SNOTEL sites below 10K feet are showing zero snow. The Sangre de Christo SWE (snowpack) is at 44%. Doubt Racecourse will get back to 400cfs before fall, like last year.

Colorado SWE's are looking awesome, can't wait.


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## jmack (Jun 3, 2004)

Fortunately, the water in the Rio Grande does not come from New Mexico, it comes from CO. The Rio Grande will be back up this weekend if they do not turn on more diversions:

Detail Graph


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## mark_vanis (Aug 7, 2013)

what are colorado "SWE"? i hope the flow goes up. I am going there on saturday morning with a ALB meetup group and maybe a friend. If you live in ALB you should check out the link for sure

This group's content is available only to members - Greater Albuquerque / Santa Fe Kayak Community (Albuquerque, NM) - Meetup

it might make you become a member.... it is free and easy.


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

SWE stands for snow/water equivalent...he was referring to the snotel stations that measure the snow depth/water content...Watch the Lobatos gauge to see if the water at Del Norte makes it to the state line or not. If it makes it here: Detail Graph
then it should be at the Racecourse in another day or two.


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## mark_vanis (Aug 7, 2013)

You think the water will be there 11 am tomorrow?


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## abron (Nov 19, 2004)

mark_vanis said:


> You think the water will be there 11 am tomorrow?


dood. There will. most assuredly. be water there tomorrow at 11am. the race course is still plenty good to go at 312cfs....in a kayak. bring a little boat. it will be more fun. 

we hit it yesterday and it was quite nice. water is clear, and its not even as low as i have gotten used to running it. wait til its 170, then you will be excited for 300 cfs. as sad as it is to say.there are still plenty of (little) surf waves

btw, someone redid the rock wall at sleeping beauty, channelling the flow over to the drop. so it is actually quite a steep little pourover, and its kind of a munchy bitch right now. the rocks on 2 sides underwater are what make it spooky. its a headknocker....


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## abron (Nov 19, 2004)

Heres a little clip from yesterday. it actually looks friendly on film. and pretty much is, except for the rocks underwater on the Surfers left eddyline, and the rock fin in the middle. the right side is alright for a front surf... (its basically same as ever, just more water flowing over the pourover then used to be at 300cfs....) 
It makes me wish we had a legit (safe) playspot here.


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## mark_vanis (Aug 7, 2013)

Where is the link?


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## southbound (May 20, 2008)

I think I low-balled on my 400cfs Racecourse prediction, but that 1000cfs at Del Norte hasn't even made it to Alamosa yet. 

I looked up the Rio Grande Compact which shows a sliding scale ratio of water delivery between the Del Norte gauge and the Lobatos gauge. With the Upper RG, the South Fork, and the Conejos all getting set to go off I think we will see some more water come through the gorge near Taos this spring. 

Here's a link to the Rio Grande Compact pdf:http://www.ose.state.nm.us/PDF/ISC/ISC-Compacts/Rio_Grande_Compact.pdf


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

Bumping this old thread because I wanted to point out the shittiness of the Rio Grande Compact... especially in dry years.

Currently there is over 1800 cfs flowing in the Rio Grande between South Fork and Del Norte where the first diversions begin.

At the state line, around a hundred miles downstream, there is less than 100 cfs in the river. This leaves 234 cfs in the river downstream of the Taos Junction Bridge at Orilla Verde and the Racecourse.

Then the Rio Grande is drained COMPLETELY DRY before it reaches Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.

Rio Grande dries up at Bosque del Apache | KOB 4


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## abron (Nov 19, 2004)

Logan, thanks for thinking of us..! it sure is dismal, and quite possibly the new norm for the SW. at least the Rio Chama is at 600cfs for now, and you said the Conejos and EFSJ are coming in....!


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