Weekend flows on saturday and sunday are 10,930 cfs constant with no water fluctuations. Glen canyon dam impounds the colorado a short distance upstream and completely regulates the river flow past lees ferry. Innovative ways to visualize and analyze environmental timeseries data richard koehler, phd, ph noaa, boulder, co richard. The 15minute precipitation data for this station are temporary and will only be displayed for 120 days.
Lower colorado river operations lower colorado region. Map showing quaternary geology and geomorphology of the lees. As of mid may, the water content in the mountains of the colorado river basin is the fifth highest on record, potentially making this year one of the 10 best high water years ever, with 1984 setting records when the flow in cataract canyon peaked at 114,000 cubic feet per second cfs. We move small boats from the launch ramp at lees ferry the beginning of the grand canyon 15 miles up the colorado river to just below the glen canyon dam that creates lake powell. The us bureau of reclamation estimates annual natural upper colorado river flow based on data recorded from streamgages at lees ferry. Current flows from glen canyon dam are 10,180 cfs during the early morning hours to a high of 18,180 cfs. Wilderness river adventures, managed by aramark, is an authorized concessioner of the national park service, grand canyon national park, canyonlands national park and glen canyon national recreation area. The colorado river and its tributaries provide drinking water to 40 million people, irrigate 5. Canyon dam, near page, arizona and downstream to pearce ferry, near lake mead.
A stretch of the colorado river corridor that was part of lake mead in. Downstream, the river enters marble canyon, the beginning of the grand canyon, passing under the navajo bridges on a now southward. Glen canyon dam water operations uc region bureau of. Lees ferry demarcates the boundary between the upper and lower basins of the colorado river. The colorado river is a major river of the western united states and northwest mexico in north america. The paria river, an important tributary, enters the lees ferry area through paria canyon fig. For example, the data indicate that at 30,000 ft 3s water would flow downstream from lees ferry at a little more than 3 mph. Reconstructed annual flow for the colorado river at lees ferry 11162014 is shown in blue. Releases from davis and parker dams will vary from about 8,000 cfs to 22,000 cfs during a 24hour period. Lees ferry is the name of a nearby place where the geological survey makes river. The 10year running mean plotted on final year of reconstructed colorado river at lees ferry annual stream flow, 14162015. These patterns practically jump off the screen when viewing one of the temporal raster maps created by koehler. Min 1963 most recent instantaneous value apr 8 25th percentile median mean 75th percentile max. November 2018 highflow experiment grand canyon national.
The drought has created new gnarly rapids in the grand canyon. If you floated the colorado river through the grand canyon any time since the construction of the hoover dam 80 years ago, chances are. Lees ferry is in the colorful, relatively open valley of the colorado river fig. Kayak horseshoe bend kayak horseshoe bend is a kayak, canoe, paddleboard and inflatable watercraft backhaul service. Mar 14, 2018 longterm fish monitoring in the colorado river in the grand canyon lees ferry to lake mead is an essential component of the glen canyon dam adaptive management program. Observed flow is shown in gray and the longterm reconstructed mean is shown by black dashed line. The compact established lees ferry, arizona as the dividing point between the upper basin colorado, wyoming, utah, and new mexico and the lower basin california, nevada, and arizona. Glen canyon dam high flow experimental release upper. In arizona, the river passes lees ferry, an important crossing for early explorers and settlers and since the early 20th century the principal point where colorado river flows are measured for apportionment to the seven u. Located in north central colorado it flows southwest through the colorado plateau country of western colorado, southeastern utah and northwestern arizona where it flows through the grand canyon.
The safety speech with dan k, my guide, at river runners beach. The colorado river from glen canyon dam to lees ferry 16 mi is not included in this study area. Jackson and dean tucker technical report npsnrwrdnrtr9212 national park service water resources division fort collins. Reconstructed annual flow for the colorado river at lees ferry 14162015 is shown in blue. We can use the results to estimate the average water speed for a range of constant discharges. Observed flow is shown in gray and the longterm reconstructed mean is shown by the black dashed line. Sampling described in this report was conducted between rm 0 and rm 296. For raft enthusiasts and whitewater adrenaline junkies 2011 is the year to book a river trip through westwater or cataract canyon on the colorado river or desolation canyon on the green. Visualizing water flow patterns for the colorado river at. Station operated in cooperation with the bureau of reclamation and the usgs. Using gis methods to assess sandbar development by clara thieme a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the master of science degree in geoscience in the graduate college of the university of iowa may 2014 thesis supervisor. The prelaunch colorado river camping area adjacent to lees ferry boat rigging area.
Areas of primary study included cardenas creek, fern glen canyon, lava falls, whitmore wash, parashant wash, and granite park. Glen canyon dam, fluctuating water levels, and riparian. The link is updated hourly with our most recent hourly data for the last 7 days. Explore the natural flow history at lees ferry, arizona, with this interactive figure. Colorado river flows reduced by warmer spring temperatures. The 10year running mean plotted on final year of reconstructed colorado river at lees ferry annual stream flow, 11162014. Threatened and endangered usgs gaging stations in arizona. In other words, the colorado river has been overallocated. Department of interior, bureau of reclamation, lower colorado region, may 1985. Please read for the latest information, click here.
Challenging class v whitewater rafting, exciting for veterans. Colorado river simulation system, hydrology data base lower colorado region lees ferry to imperial dam pdf, 7. Mar 09, 2016 the us bureau of reclamation estimates annual natural upper colorado river flow based on data recorded from streamgages at lees ferry. The paria river, an important tributary, enters the. Colorado river launches into the grand canyon start here. Jackson and dean tucker technical report npsnrwrdnrtr9212 national park service water resources division fort collins, colorado resource room property water resources. Today hourly data you may now access this data in a machine readable json format at this link.
Colorado river at lees ferry, az grand canyon monitoring and. Established campsites, marked by signs, along the colorado river between the glen canyon dam and lees ferry. Lees ferry also lees ferry or lee ferry, az southwest. At the end of your river trip you will arrive at the south rim after you hike out of the canyon from phantom ranch. It is the former location of a ferry established by john d. Loss rates from lake powell and their impact on management of. Weekend flows are perfect for wading and fish will be keying on midges as well as cicadas, scuds and worms. For nearly threehundred miles, the colorado river has cut a chasm over a mile deep through a rainbow of ancient rock in arizona. Min 1963 25th percentile median most recent instantaneous value apr 10 mean 75th percen. Map showing quaternary geology and geomorphology of the.
Lees ferry also known as lees ferry, lee ferry, little colorado station and saints ferry is a site on the colorado river in coconino county, arizona in the united states, about 7. Lees ferry offers a ranger station, campground, launch ramp, courtesy dock, fishcleaning station and access to 15 miles of the colorado river upriver only. The irony of line graphs is the more data you display, the less detail you see, said koehler, who presented the lees ferry case study in a recent golden software. Lees ferry to little colorado river see other formats upo. Colorado river, arizona is a guide to canoeing, kayaking and rafting the colorado river running from its headwaters in the rocky mountains of grand county, colorado, then into utah and arizona, with information and links to canoe, kayak and raft liveries and rentals, campgrounds, shuttle services and other businesses catering to paddlers and paddlesports in the arizona area. Encompassing all or parts of arizona, colorado, idaho, nevada, new mexico, texas, utah and wyoming. Lees ferry colorado river white water rafting trips grand. Whether you wish to cross colorado whitewater rafting off your bucket list or youre an avid adventurer looking to try another sport, river runners has a trip for everyone. River levels will vary during the 24hour periods with the higher levels coinciding with periods of peak hydroelectric power generation.
Innovative ways to visualize and analyze environmental time. Visualizing water flow patterns for the colorado river at lees ferry. From the south rim there is van shuttle transportation not included available to return you to flagstaff. This stretch of river has been left untouched by the wheel of time. Lees ferry is the beginning of the grand canyon and serves as the primary launch point for grand canyon river trips. Water supply has been variable over the last 1,200 years. To visualize data in a graph, please select parameters from the left as well as a date range from above. Mar 21, 2012 lees ferry is in the colorful, relatively open valley of the colorado river fig. Location of lees ferry for colorado river white water rafting trips in arizona. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible yearround. Colorado river simulation system, hydrologic flow and salt data base for the lower colorado region, lees ferry to imperial dam pdf, 8. Differences in water flow rates for the colorado river at lees ferry, arizona are instantly recognized in surfer using a timeseries visualization technique developed by dr. None are needed to go up river 12 miles towards glenn canyon dam.
Lee ferry is the division point between the upper colorado. Colorado river at lees ferry, az usaarz american whitewater. Follow this link for information on the cooperative water program with the usgs. River mile 0 was measured from the usgs concrete gage and cableway at lees ferry, arizona as per the colorado river compact of 1922 with negative river mile numbers used in glen canyon and positive river mile numbers downstream in marble and grand canyons. Lees ferry also lees ferry or lee ferry is a site on the colorado river in coconino county, arizona, united states, about 7. River users should exercise caution along the colorado river through glen and. Colorado river mile system, grand canyon, arizona sciencebase. Pdf colorado river fish monitoring in the grand canyon. The drought has created new gnarly rapids in the grand. You can arrange for a floating trip with colorado river discovery or bring or rent your own raft or kayak. The average release from painted rock dam was 0 cfs and alamo dam was 25 cfs. The study area consists of the colorado river corridor in grand canyon national park between lees ferry and diamond creek, a distance of 225 miles.
The colorado river at lees ferry gaging station 0938000 61 figure 1 and table 1, which lies about 25 kilometers km downstream from glen canyon dam, 62 measures the. There is not enough water in the river, on average, to fulfill all of the legal entitlements. This promises to be one of the top 10 best high water years on record for the colorado river system. Boulder canyon operations office lower colorado region. But if you really want to tap into your frontier spirit, float the calm stretch of emerald green waters from glen canyon dam to lees ferry. This full grand canyon rafting and hiking trip gives us time to stop, to look, to listen and explore the treasures this wonderland has to offer. The colorado river systems mavens notebook water news. The lees ferry fishery is a tailwater fishery in the colorado river. Lees ferry is the name of a nearby place where the geological survey makes river measurements. The morelos dam diversions for the week of august 4, 2003 are expected to be 1,730 cfs. At hite, between the marina access road and the shoreline, from 300 feet upstream of the marina houseboat loading dock to 300 feet upstream of the.
Born in 1883, as a settlement alongside the new wooden railroad bridge, topock has been witness to millions of travelers crossing the river first by train and ferry, and then, beginning in 1916, by automobile. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. When is the best time to go river rafting in colorado. The compact effectively split the flow of the river at lees ferry in half, with 7.
Flagstaff is the meeting point for your lees ferry to phantom ranch trip. Yesterday, the average colorado river flows were 783 cfs near the yuma fourth avenue bridge and 1,671 cfs at the northerly international boundary. Home discharge, sediment and water quality grand canyon. Great for veteran paddlers and for adventurous first timers. American river flows american whitewater expeditions. Water year hidden axis new plot aerial view spaghetti plot ground view. A restaurant, service station, post office and store are available at the town of marble canyon on highway 89a, 3. However, the flow since 1922 has been generally lower than these early gaged flows, and the longterm mean gaged flow at lees ferry 19062004 is about 15. Probability analysis applied to a watersupply problem. Colorado river fly fishing troutsource fly fishing.
Lees ferry colorado river white water rafting trips. Grand canyon monitoring and research program the colorado. Water for the south rim village flows through a pipe from near the north rim, down right angel canyon, across a bridge and then back up to the south rim. Lees ferry is a site on the colorado river in coconino county, arizona in the united states, about 7. Lees ferry anglers and cliff dwellers lodge serves flyfishers, grand canyon rafters, hikers, and travelers from around the. Feb 10, 2016 the drought has created new gnarly rapids in the grand canyon. Lees ferry is the dividing point between the upper and lower colorado rivers for water rights politics. The stretch of the colorado river suited for fly fishing, the giant sandstone glen canyon from glen canyon dam to just below lees ferry, is only 15 miles, but is highly scenic and an excellent yearround tailwater fishery. Daily discharge, cubic feet per second statistics for apr 10 based on 98 water years of record more. May through august 2018, low steady flows 8,000 cfs were released on weekends to prevent. American whitewater is the primary advocate for the preservation and protection of whitewater rivers throughout the united states and connects the interests of humanpowered recreational river users with ecological and sciencebased data to achieve goals within our mission.
Jan 15, 2009 lees ferry also lees ferry or lee ferry is a site on the colorado river in coconino county, arizona, united states, about 7. Lees ferry lodge is located 120 miles north of flagstaff, arizona, at the edge of the vermilion cliffs national wilderness area, on hwy. At that location, colorado river streamflow reflects water. As demand for water in the southwestern united states increases and climate change 5 potentially decreases the natural flows in the colorado river system, there will be increased need to 6 optimize the water supply. Innovative ways to visualize and analyze environmental. The current drought is the driest 16year period in the past 100 years and one of the driest 16year periods in the past 1,200 years. Encompassing all or parts of arizona, colorado, idaho, nevada, new mexico. Topock has been an important crossing of the colorado river for travelers for many years. Nowhere on earth is there a more complete or dramatic geologic storybook. Grand canyon rafting with oars lees ferry lake mead. However, the upper colorado river basin is defined by its hydrologic boundaries, therefore, the hydrologic boundaries include portions of arizona in the upper colorado river basin and portions of utah and new mexico in the lower colorado river basin. Historically a ford used by native americans, explorers and settlers, lees ferry serves as the dividing point between the upper and lower colorado river basins, which were each allocated onehalf of the colorado river flow in the colorado river compact of 1922.
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