Water releases for Flaming Gorge Dam will vary throughout the baseflow season according to the Bureau of Reclamation. Reclamation has coordinated with the Western Area Power Administration to establish hourly scheduled release patterns that include fluctuations for power generation.
This release plan remains subject to change based on evolving weather forecasts and river conditions.
As of July 5, 2026, the Flaming Gorge Reservoir pool elevation is 6014.79 feet, representing 75 percent of its live storage capacity. Unregulated inflow volume for June was approximately 121,239 acre-feet, which is 31 percent of the average unregulated inflow volume.
Forecasts indicate that unregulated inflows into Flaming Gorge for the next three months are expected to be much below average. Projected unregulated inflow volumes are 45,000 af for July, 26,000 af for August, and 24,000 af for September. The July, August, and September forecasts represent 22 percent, 36 percent, and 52 percent of the average, respectively.
Under the Drought Response Operations Agreement, which is part of the 2019 Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan for the Upper Colorado River Basin, between 660,000 and one million acre-feet of additional water is being delivered from Flaming Gorge Reservoir to Lake Powell through April 2027. These supplemental releases are intended to help maintain Lake Powell above critical elevations.
When these supplemental releases began, the Flaming Gorge Reservoir was approximately 82 percent full, holding about 3.01 maf of water.
Recreationists using the Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam are advised to use extreme caution and monitor changing conditions. Officials noted that water may be colder than usual and can run high and swift during periods of elevated releases.
The next Flaming Gorge Working Group meeting is scheduled for August 2026, though the specific date is to be determined. This group serves as a public forum for information exchange between Reclamation and stakeholders of the Flaming Gorge Dam.
