Watching the flow

With the cooler weather this week, stream flows have dropped. Currently, Vail Mountain has close to 30 inches of snow water equivalent still sitting up top. The average this time of year since 1979 is close to 20 inches. We are just hoping it takes its time melting off.
Streams and rivers are measured in cubic feet per second. All bodies of moving water vary in size and flow. CFS readings are different for each body of water, for example, when the Gore is running at 1000 cfs, that is considered high. However, downstream in the Eagle River, 1000 cfs is a much calmer flow because the river is larger and can handle more water.
The USGS has a few detailed web pages on how rivers and streams are measured. It is an interesting process that interpretes data for all creek managers and those who use the creek for recreation.
This week the Gore almost reached 270 cfs and we noticed a rafting company taking a trial run. Unfortunately they did not make it too far. Today we are at 176 cfs and when the sun comes out, plan on that number jumping up significantly.
When the Gore reaches 350 cfs you will certainly start to notice more activity on the Gore. Mountainbuzz.com is a good website for kayakers and the local gauge from the USGS.