Horsetooth Reservoir

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The Horsetooth Reservoir has been drained to about 5-6% of the its full capacity. All boat ramps are closed. No motor boats! Boat permit fees for canoes and kayaks are waived until ramps open again in spring 2003 (vehicle/entrance permits are still required).

The reservoir consists again of three ponds connected by two narrow channels with swift current and some whitewater. The access is only from South Bay. There are some rocks at the end of the north boat ramp, so it is possible to launch a boat without sinking in mud.

-- Marek Uliasz (uliasz@frii.com), September 08, 2002

Answers

Response to Horsetooth Reservoir - summer 2002

09/07/2002. The water level in the southern pool went up about 2 feet due to the increased inflow during the last week. Official data: pool elevation - 5310.8 feet, reservoir active conservation pool - 6.5% full. The white water at the end of the first channel was great.

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-- Marek Uliasz (uliasz@frii.com), September 10, 2002.


09/10/2002. More water in the reservoir: pool elevation 5314.4 feet, 8.2% full. The water level in the southern pool went down about 1 foot and the levels of central and northern pools went up.

The white water at the end of the first channel was almost gone, but it was still too fast and too shallow to paddle upstream. A smooth water in the second channel.



-- Marek Uliasz (uliasz@frii.com), September 11, 2002.


I will try to include a thermometer to paddling gear. It may be interesting to report water temperature. Water in Horsetooth is quite cold but I didn't have any problems to wade for a couple of hours during the last weekend.

-- Marek (uliasz@frii.com), September 12, 2002.

09/20/2002. The water level in the southern pool went further down and it was the lowest during my 2002 year paddling. The central pool stayed approximately at the same level. The channel connecting the southern and sentral pools was very shallow, mostly, not deeper than 1 foot making difficult to use a canoe paddle. Very shallow at the entry to this channel. The rapids were no longer runable. Some channels in clay were waist deep in some places but too narrow for a boat (I had occassion to check it when dragging my boat upstream).



-- Marek Uliasz (uliasz@frii.com), September 21, 2002.


The water level in Horsetooth is slowly rising: current pool elevation - 5317.5 feet, reservoir active conservation pool - 8.5% full.



-- Marek (uliasz@frii.com), November 19, 2002.



What is the current water temperature at Horsetooth?

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-- Brian Curtiss (bc@asdi.com), September 12, 2002.


11/22/02. The water level is rising. The inflow to the reservoir and probably the flow in the southern channel is about 70 cfs. There is a swift current but no rapids at the end of this channel because the central pool level is too high.

-- Marek (uliasz@friic.om), November 23, 2002.

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