LA BARGE — According to the most recent inflow calculations from the Bureau of Reclamation, this year’s inflows into Fontenelle Dam are projected to be the seventh driest since 1966.

Anyone who has been on the Green River recently will have noticed how low the river is already this year. This is due to the amount of water being released from the Fontenelle Reservoir. Due to the low levels, City of Green River officials are asking residents to be cautious in the water.

As of June 7, the Fontenelle Reservoir pool elevation is 6483.38 feet, which is 53 percent of live storage capacity, according to inflow release from the Bureau of Reclamation. Inflows for the month of May totaled 76,000 acre-feet (af) or 47 percent of average.

Due to dry hydrologic conditions in the Upper Green River Basin, Fontenelle’s releases were lowered from 825 cfs to 700 cfs on May 24. Based on the latest observed inflows and June forecast for the period between April and July, this year’s inflows into Fontenelle Dam are projected to be the 7th driest since 1966.

The June final forecast for unregulated inflows into Fontenelle for the next three months projects dry conditions, the release states. June, July, and August inflow volumes amount to 150,000 af (50 percent of average), 65,000 af (37 percent of average), and 35,000 af (46 percent of average), respectively. 

Please refer to the following link for Green River flow projections, through Green River, WY, provided by the Colorado River Basin Forecast Center: CBRFC Green River, WY Projection

To view the most current reservoir elevation, content, inflow and release, click on: Fontenelle Reservoir Data.