# Black Canyon/Gunny Gorge.



## mikesee (Aug 4, 2012)

Got a Wateralert on Friday that the flows below Crystal Res bumped to over 600 cfs. 

USGS Current Conditions for USGS 09128000 GUNNISON RIVER BELOW GUNNISON TUNNEL, CO

Anyone know why they'd be spilling so much/so early, when Blue Mesa is something like 40' low?

Anyone have any idea how long it's expected to last?


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## mikesee (Aug 4, 2012)

Up to 856cfs as of mid-day today. Seems like enough water, for long enough already, that any remaining ice should be long gone.


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## Stiff N' Wett (Feb 18, 2010)

Hell yeah I think we will be down there this weekend if anyone wants to share shuttle Saturday morning. We are going to get a hold of the folks down at Pleasure Park to get the scoop or the mule man....Someone should know of the conditions.


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## bmagtutu (May 29, 2009)

*Gunny Gorge*

Mike,
I met you in the canyon last year. I follow all your trips. Someday I would love to get a chance to boat or bike with you guys. 

We have been running the gorge all winter. It only froze a little. We had to make a few portages around a couple rapids. Last winter was a different story. It has been ice free for quite a few months now. 

The Bureau of Rec thinks there is enough snow pack that they will fill Blue Mesa. A lot of us have been writing to them and pleading not to let out small amounts but to save up and do a big flush. The canyon needs to see something like 8000 cfs (even if its only for a day) to get the silt off the bottom to restore habitat for the bugs. The CDW thinks 2200 cfs is enough to move all the new silt out but we have all seen 2200. It is a fun level but not even close to what is needed to flush the canyon.

Let me know if you are in town. We are always up for a trip.


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## mikesee (Aug 4, 2012)

I understand that they're moving water because they think the res's will fill, but I just can't imagine (nor calculate) how one winter worth of snowpack will fill Blue Mesa when it's something like 45' below full pool right now.

Anyhoo...

I hope they're right, or at least close. 

Agreed on the flush--hasn't happened in far too long.

Some talk of doing the GG in a day this coming Monday if you want to join. Might be able to scare up a buttboat if you don't already have one/and want to use one.


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## ukonom (Nov 21, 2008)

Blue Mesa holds 830,000 AF at full pool, it's got just under 400,000 in it now. Projected runoff is over 850,000 AF. Pretty simple math for why they're moving water. Course a lot can change in April....


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## brodie (Jun 12, 2009)

I was told last October 2013 the water at that time in the mesa had already been sold for 2014.


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## pitty (May 3, 2011)

If y'all go Monday I would love to join. Pm me to make a plan. I'd be coming from carbondale.


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## efranz (May 12, 2009)

*Email From BOR 3/6/2014*

Knight, Erik
Mar 6 (8 days ago)


The March 1st runoff forecast for Blue Mesa Reservoir projects 850,000 af of inflow between April and July which is 126% of average. This represents a 35,000 af increase from the February 15th forecast. 

Considering the wet conditions and increasing forecast, releases at Crystal Reservoir will be increased by 200 cfs on Friday morning, March 7th. This will bring releases and river flows up to 600 cfs. Then releases will be increased another 200 cfs on Monday morning, March 10th which will bring river flows up to 800 cfs. 

On Monday, March 17th releases at Crystal will be reduced to 300 cfs for the day to accommodate an inspection of the stilling basin below Crystal dam. Flows in the Gunnison River through the Black Canyon will begin to drop to 300 cfs on Sunday before returning back to 800 cfs by Tuesday, March 18th.


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## jmcgreevy (May 5, 2012)

Row cold in the river right now? Probably not Kayakable for the sane?


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## milo (Apr 21, 2004)

How's chukar road? Open? I know crystal road is closed still... That means a 7 mile hike to the put in... What a great flow to contemplate Ari in the upper section...


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## Flohotter (Jun 22, 2010)

Road was a bit muddy in a few spots. Some of the ruts were deep. We had zero issues. This was as of 3/14


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## efranz (May 12, 2009)

From BOR as of 3/17/2014:

Flows in the Gunnison River have dropped to ~350 cfs today to accommodate the sonar mapping exercise at the Crystal Dam stilling basin. 

Maintenance and testing of both power generators at Blue Mesa Dam will also start today - this is scheduled to be finished within 10 days. During this time there will be no power generation at Blue Mesa Dam. In order to minimize the amount of bypass water at Blue Mesa Dam, releases at Crystal Dam will remain at 300 cfs until the Blue Mesa power plant is back online. Therefore flows in the Gunnison River through the Black Canyon will continue to be around 350 cfs until further notice.


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## mikesee (Aug 4, 2012)

Ran it today, Chukar down. Maybe a total of 100' of mud on the road on one of the steep northern slopes. If you'd made it that far already you'd have no problem with the mud.

Missed the flow window on this go-round. Looking forward to the upcoming flush!


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## milo (Apr 21, 2004)

I've heard from a ranger buddy that multiple catastrophic debris flows have dumped into the BLACK... All the heavy rain last fall.... He said lots of shit including trees are in the narrows and below.... Has anyone looked in there?... The recent 8 hundo may have flushed it a bit but maybe not... It makes me nervous thinking about dropping in... New wood has never been an issue.... It was fun to run drops blind, blue angel style.... THIS IS A HEADS UP FOR ANYBODY THINKING ABOUT DROPPING IN WHEN THE FLOWS COME BACK UP**** watch your ass in there!!! ****private brown 420 cb...


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## efranz (May 12, 2009)

*3/26/2014 Update On Flows below Crystal Dam from BOR*

The Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association (UVWUA) is planning their seasonal start up of irrigation diversions through the Gunnison Tunnel on Thursday morning, March 27th. Initial diversions will start at 100 cfs. Reclamation will increase releases at Crystal Dam to provide water for these diversions while maintaining the current flow rate in the Gunnison River. Current flows in the river through the Black Canyon are around 380 cfs and should be unchanged during this operation.

It is expected that irrigation diversions will continue to increase over the next week and releases from Crystal Dam will increase accordingly. Also, once maintenance is completed at the Blue Mesa Dam power plant, releases from Crystal Dam may increase beyond the Gunnison Tunnel diversion requirement, resulting in increased flows in the Gunnison River through the Black Canyon. This could occur by the end of this week.



Erik Knight
Bureau of Reclamation
WCAO-GJ
970-248-0629


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## mania (Oct 21, 2003)

Thanks for keeping us in the loop.


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## Dwave (Mar 23, 2009)

Cheers Erik for the update. Would love to see increased flows so we can get into the Black and have some fun


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## TapStyx (Aug 28, 2010)

Yes, thanks Edd for the updates!


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## Sagebrusher (May 12, 2011)

Sure is an incredible amount of snow in the central and western high elevations of Colorado! In contrast, hardly any on the Front Range just west of Denver and Colorado Springs. Gonna be a good year for the west slope rivers!










http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/interactive/html/map.html


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## Cutch (Nov 4, 2003)

> Sure is an incredible amount of snow in the central and western high elevations of Colorado! In contrast, hardly any on the Front Range just west of Denver and Colorado Springs. Gonna be a good year for the west slope rivers!


Huh? 90% SWE for the Animas/Dolores/San Juan = lowest in state. 135% and 139% for South Platte and North Platte = best in state. It's looking like a pretty good year everywhere in Colorado, and per the numbers, the east slope rivers are doing better than the west. As of today.


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## mikesee (Aug 4, 2012)

efranz said:


> It is expected that irrigation diversions will continue to increase over the next week and releases from Crystal Dam will increase accordingly. Also, once maintenance is completed at the Blue Mesa Dam power plant, releases from Crystal Dam may increase beyond the Gunnison Tunnel diversion requirement, resulting in increased flows in the Gunnison River through the Black Canyon. This could occur by the end of this week.
> 
> Erik Knight
> Bureau of Reclamation
> ...


Great info. Any updated, um, updates?


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## milo (Apr 21, 2004)

Shit went down in the upper canyon... Below DAYWRECKER.... New trees.... New rocks(very large).... Where the ON RAMP/ S TURN RAPID
used to be is now a very large and steep manky drop... It may go but has a very bad hole half way down.... May holes and pin rocks be cause it hasn't blown out yet... It will take several thousand CFS to imbricate the new rocks... I'm trying to put a crew together to remove the large trees and old logs out before the make way into the NARROWS... A new lake was formed in the guts of the earth...All rapids in the narrows look fine... Beware of new wood if you beat us in there... I want at least 700 before I drop in... I'm not sure about above DAYWRECKER... Be ready for new shit or wood... THE RETURN OF CAPTAIN BLACK420 CB.....


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## leif (Jul 11, 2009)

700? Milo, I thought you were a black canyon enthusiast. I've done the black canyon way lower than 700.


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## mikesee (Aug 4, 2012)

milo said:


> I'm trying to put a crew together to remove the large trees and old logs out


I'll help. 

Give me a few days notice, and preferably before the ivy leafs out.


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