# San Juan's are on the way up



## BoilermakerU (Mar 13, 2009)

So is all that water just going to get stuck in Navajo? Or are they going to release some of it down river any time soon? We're launching from Mexican hat, and it's looking to be another rock scraper this year. 

Weather is looking better than last year at least. Warmer, but still windy...


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

I have no idea what the Navajo release schedule looks like, but the water from the Animas will be hitting the San Juan below the reservoir. 

I posted the flows more for the purpose of letting people know that it looks like Stoner Stampede, East/West forks of the San Juan as well as Mesa Canyon, the Piedra and possibly the Upper A should all be runnable tomorrow.


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## sjnovak3 (Jun 17, 2004)

@BoilermakerU- The USGS Bluff gage is quite low- but it's going to start coming up in a day or two. The warm weather in Durango is bringing the Animas up quickly USGS Current Conditions for USGS 09361500 ANIMAS RIVER AT DURANGO, CO so we're holding the Navajo release at 350 for now and letting the Animas take over (it enters the San Juan below Navajo). An increase would take several days to get down there anyways, so the water from the Animas will be faster.

The reason we aren't increasing Navajo release is because we are still trying to recover the reservoir after several years of drought. The reservoir is starting to come up but it's still lower than it's been since 2002, and this winter was a little better, but still pretty well below average (the San Juan River Basin was pretty much left out of all that great above-average snowfall the northern Colorado mountains had this year). 

Anyone with questions can feel free to give me a call or email-

---
Susan Novak Behery, P.E.
Hydrologic Engineer
Reclamation
Western Colorado Area Office
Durango, CO
[email protected]
970-385-6560


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## gunnerman (Jun 6, 2013)

Yea guys, got a feeling everything is going to flush fast and furious. The North fork of Gunny is way ahead of schedule cranking at 1500, the San Miquel is ahead of schedule. Both of those rivers always have short windows anyways, you really need to keep an eye on the USGS site for all runs, it is the most accurate. Rounding up a group to run lower Anthracite and North Fork to Sommerset next weekend. Should be great!


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## oarframe (Jun 25, 2008)

Good news Susan! I hope it holds for a week or two. We got a 4 21 launch Bluff to the Hat.


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

gunnerman said:


> Rounding up a group to run lower Anthracite and North Fork to Sommerset next weekend. Should be great!


I would possibly be interested in getting in on that. Ever ran Dark Canyon?


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## gunnerman (Jun 6, 2013)

Hey Logan, most of our group is an older bunch (mid to upper 50's) and half of us runs Ik's so we pretty much peak at Class III+. Also I've decided that this year I plan on doing long day runs or mutiple river runs. Planning on San Miquel all the way from Sawpit run to Norwood bridge (good 20 some miles), and hitting lower Crystal, Woody creek section of Roaring Fork, and Lower Frying pan all one weekend camping along 133. So I'll stay in touch via the cell-phone, cause I actually like talking to people. Like I've said before I'm 55 and real old-school. Chow!



















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## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

*old school*

gunnerman,

I know it is a matter of opinion, but for me nothing wrong with being old school, if that means taking time to enjoy just being on a stream with friends and maybe camping out with camp fires and dutch ovens.

For me, I am way past the more challenge to the run the better. 

Early on I ran a lot of streams where all my attention (as it should be) was on the next rapid not the rest of the environment. 

I boat now mostly for the friendship and good times and less for the pushing my limit for the adrenaline rush.

Enjoy that class 3 maybe spice it up by making harder moves where if you screw up you don't put yourself and the group in serious danger.

That is where I now am in my boating activities.


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

Thanks Gunnerman. I got your voicemail, sorry I missed your call, I am in and out of the house at the moment trying to get some stuff done before running Browns.... I am cool with 3-3+. In fact I have ran the Crystal, Woody Creek and lower Fryingpan, all good fun. Keep me in the loop if your looking for more paddlers.


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