UPDATE: Trumbull Bridge re-opens as Colorado river waters recede
UPDATED Thursday (June 25) at 6 p.m.:
The bridge at Trumbull along Colorado 67 has been inspected by civil engineers and has been deemed safe for all use, according to a news release from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. The bridge is now open to all traffic. In addition, all the roads along the river have been reopened for all users.Sheriff’s officials say river levels continue to slowly decrease but remain very high for this time of year.The river remains closed to the use of all single chambered air inflated devices, such as belly boats, inner tubes and single chambered rafts, body surfing and swimming.These restrictions are still in effect:+ The South Platte River and the North Fork of the South Platte River from the Jefferson / Park County line to Chatfield Reservoir are closed to all recreational use, including tubing, rafting, kayaking, fishing and swimming, until further notice.
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This week’s storms have prompted the U.S. Forest Service to close three campgrounds along the South Platte River in Douglas County, rangers announced Wednesday. And officials in Pitkin County warn of dangers from a rushing Roaring Fork River.
The Pike National Forest – South Platte Ranger District closed the Ouzel, Osprey and Platte River campgrounds along the South Platte on Wednesday, according to a new release. The campgrounds will remain closed indefinitely.
The closures are the result of high water flows and an effort to keep campers safe.
Water reached the Douglas County Road 97 Bridge over the South Platte River at Trumbull north of Deckers on Wednesday afternoon.
The South Platte River Road bridge at Trumbull, just downstream from North Fork Fire Station 3, was closed Thursday as a result of the high water. There is no estimate on re-opening.
Residents of the Trumbull community must access their properties from the Deckers side. Other residents must access River Road from the north or east. The road remained closed to local traffic from Deckers to Buffalo Creek on Thursday.
The Forest Service is monitoring the area and will reopen the campgrounds when it is safe to do so, according to the news release.
(Scroll to bottom for a list of campground and picnic area closures.)
Eleven Mile Canyon and the Happy Meadows Campground were closed Tuesday due to flooding. Denver Water is releasing water in the the reservoir there, which is increasing the water level along the river.
ELEVEN MILE STATE PARK
Eleven Mile State Park, however, remains open, according to a news release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Anglers are advised to stay out of high flowing river sections of the park, but parks officials say reservoir fishing remains unaffected.
At this time, fishing is discouraged along river sections at the Spinney Mountain State Wildlife Area above Spinney Mountain Reservoir and the entire river section between Spinney Mountain and Eleven Mile Reservoirs until water levels recede.
“In most years, we might see flows on the river up to 250 cubic feet per second (cfs) this time of year. Today, flows are running at 1,000 cfs,” said Kevin Tobey, park manager at both Eleven Mile and Spinney Mountain state parks. “It’s hard to predict if they will go higher, but we will monitor conditions.”
Tobey said he does not expect any campgrounds or other facilities at Eleven Mile State Park to be affected by changing water levels since sites are well above the maximum reservoir capacity.
“We did close the river access parking lot below the dam at Spinney Mountain State Park as a precaution as water levels rose in that low lying area,” Tobey said.
LAKE PUEBLO STATE PARKHigh flows in the Arkansas River, which flows into Lake Pueblo Reservoir, have forced officials to close areas of the park. Rangers say it could be several weeks before specific areas of the park open to the public.
Closures:+ South Boat Ramp is closed to all launching and loading of boats and vehicular use.
+ North Boat Ramp is open and being monitored closely.
+ South Fishing shoreline access is closed to vehicular access.
+ N-1 Cove Access is underwater and closed.
+ Sailboard Access and parking lot is closed. The water is eroding the existing paved parking lot.
+ North Picnic Access is closed to vehicles. A portion of the road in that area is underwater.
+ Kettle Creek Campground is being closely monitored.
“We understand the impact that this will have on our visitors,” said park manager Monique Mullis. “But there’s still a lot of the park that hasn’t been affected.”
Shoreline access and parking spaces are limited as a result of the high water. Parking is not allowed along the main park road.
Boaters are required to use the North Boat ramp and should expect delays in loading (up to an hour) and unloading due to limited parking space.
Boaters will need to use extra caution on the water as there is increased debris and buoy markers may have moved or be less visible in the high water conditions.
Flows in the Arkansas River below the dam at Lake Pueblo are also impacted due to flooding conditions along the corridor. Flows may be typical for the season, or the spillway gates may be opened and flows could become dangerously fast. The Bureau of Reclamation is in charge of water levels and releases in the Pueblo Reservoir. Visitors are advised to use extreme caution and to pay close attention to rapidly changing conditions along the river in the next few weeks.
ROARING FORK VALLEYTuesday night’s heavy rainfall brought the Roaring Fork River in the Aspen area close to flood stage Wednesday. Officials say warm weather that is forecast the rest of the week will hasten snowmelt and further raise the water level.
The Roaring Fork, running through Aspen at USGS gauge 09073400, was measured at 1,680 cfs (cubic feet per second) early Wednesday, an increase of over 500 cfs since Tuesday night’s storm. UPATE: Conditions on the Roaring Fork stabilized Thursday, with flows at Stillwater Reservoir measured at 1,220 cfs Thursday afternoon.
Extreme caution is urged to those recreating in or near waterways. “We are really concerned about visitors,” said Pitkin County Sheriff Joe DiSalvo. “People tend to underestimate the power of the river’s current. We do not want to see a tragedy.”
People are urged to stay at least 25 feet away from high flowing rivers because riverbanks may be highly unstable and prone to collapse.
Frying Pan River water flows are being monitored closely by the Bureau of Reclamation. The release from Ruedi will increase Wednesday by approximately 100 cfs and Thursday morning by 50 cfs. After these adjustments, the flow at the Fryingpan River gauge below Ruedi Reservoir will increase to approximately 440 cfs. UPDATE: Flows into the Frying Pan River from Ruedi Reservoir reached 750 cfs by 5 p.m. Thursday, reported the Bureau of Reclamation. Reudi Reservoir was reported at 3,500 acre-feet from total capacity, and the average daily inflow to the reservoir this week is more than 1,000 cfs.
Low-lying areas along the Fryingpan and confluence with the Roaring Fork are at risk for flooding, Basalt Police Chief Greg Knott stated in a news release. Officials also are concerned about the Basalt Avenue pedestrian bridge, a popular spot for children to play in summer.
Officials have notified all area fishing and rafting/watersports guide companies and are stopping to alert anglers they see on local rivers.
JOHN MARTIN RESERVOIR STATE PARKThe reservoir at John Martin Reservoir State Park reached 253,000 acre-feet of water for the first time since 2002, officials reported this week. The East and West boat ramps were reported open Thursday and campsites are available.
CLOSURES IN THE PIKE NATIONAL FORESTCampgrounds and picnic areas closed in the Pike National Forest as the result of flooding and high water levels are:
South Park Ranger District (Park County)
+ Riverside Campground
+ Springer Gulch Campground
+ Cove Campground
+ Spillway Campground
+ Happy Meadows Campground
+ Obrien Gulch Picnic Area
+ Elevenmile Picnic Area
+ Messenger Gulch Picnic Area
+ Idlewild Picnic Area
+ Elevenmile Fishing Area
South Platte Ranger District (Douglas County)
+ Ouzel Campground
+ Osprey Campground
+ Platte River Campground
+ Bridge Crossing Picnic Area
+ Scraggy View Picnic Area
+ Willow Bend Picnic Area
Rangers say additional areas may be closed if conditions warrant.
Spillway Campground (Courtesy of U.S. Forest Service)
Riverside Campground (Courtesy of U.S. Forest Service)





