New river flow and water temperature report dashboard increases data accessibility

As the Eagle River Valley enters a season of high temperatures, traditionally low precipitation and declining flows in local waterways, the Eagle River Coalition has launched a dashboard displaying current temperature and flow conditions throughout the local watershed.

The dashboard is accessible to the public at EagleRiverCO.org/riverreport.

Most of Eagle County is currently experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions. Declining flows result in increased strain on local rivers for all uses, including outdoor irrigation, municipal uses, agricultural uses, and ecosystem health.

Using real-time USGS gage data, this new platform provides users with current river conditions compared against historical averages. Toggling between temperature and flow data allows users to make informed decisions.

The organization urges residents, second-home owners and visitors to take additional steps to reduce detrimental impacts on local streams during periods of low flows and high temperatures. This can include reducing outdoor water use and shifting irrigation timing to early mornings or evenings when evapotranspiration rates are low. Anglers and river users should be aware that during conditions of low flows and hot weather, water temperatures can rise to harmful levels for fish. Fishing during these conditions will negatively impact the health of the fishery.

It is suggested that anglers carry thermometers and check river temperatures frequently when fishing. If the water temperature is 65 degrees at noon, please know that it will likely continue to increase into a range that will be detrimental to fish and anglers are urged to adapt the day’s fishing plans accordingly. Consider fishing at higher elevation lakes and streams, where environmental factors are much less severe and the flows remain higher.

This post was originally shared on Vail Daily Online - access it here.