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Lake: Granby Lake

Granby Water Levels

Post By: ParkerDude      Posted: 4/19/2021 7:43:07 AM     Points: 1289    
Just for my personal interest I looked at 10 years of Lake Granby water level and snowpack history. I thought I'd share what i found. In 2010 the water was as low as right now, the snowpack was only a little higher, but a lot of storms continued through mid-May and it still almost filled. In 2012 the water level was 10 feet higher than right now but the snowpack was really low, it only filled about 5 feet total and the water level was down 16 feet going into summer. In 2013 the water level was down 62 feet after winter, the snowpack was a little higher than right now and it was down 27 feet for summer. In 2014 there was tons of snow and it filled. Pretty much every year since it has filled, in 2018 it was still down 3 feet after the runoff. So there is still a chance (like 2010) but it could also easily be down 15 to 20 feet in summer. Colorado could be entering a serious water problem if late storms this year and snow next winter doesn’t fix it, I see Littleton is already rationing lawn watering. The lake is down about 29 feet right now and still dropping over an inch a day the last 4 days, we’ve lost ~13% of the snowpack already and it isn’t doing a thing so far. Sitting at 76% of normal snowpack for this date.
 Reply by: puntfish      Posted: 4/19/2021 3:23:43 PM     Points: 54
You forget to mention in your report how many new apartments have replace single units and how many more people are moving to Colorado. There will be no lakes in Colorado they will be empty soon. Know matter how much it snows.
 Reply by: ParkerDude      Posted: 4/19/2021 3:59:40 PM     Points: 1289
Water has potential to become a big issue one of these years in Colorado, I hope it's not soon. Two years of low snowpack amounts and we could be there. This years snowpack is not that bad, but another low year (if we ever start down 15 or 20 feet) and we'll be walking out on the humps near Dike 3 like happened in 2013 according to what a friend told me. I hope we still get bailed out this year with some more snow or spring rain. If not I'll be looking for lakers in some new spots in the lake.
 Reply by: shmiley1      Posted: 4/19/2021 6:25:19 PM     Points: 2676
Some ppl already have to park their boat trailers out along the highway on weekends... Especially with the latest influx of usage, low water in granby can be very problematic. The only "low water ramp" is at sunset, is only 1 lane, and not in very good condition. I cant imagine the issues we would have if the water was low enough that only that ramp could be utilized nowadays.
 Reply by: richw88      Posted: 4/20/2021 10:12:19 AM     Points: 63
I've seen Granby a lot lower. Back in 2004 it was 50 ft low, and never got close to filling that spring, or the next.
Are you highlighting Granby because you like to fish there? Granby supplies the Colorado and western slope, not Denver metro. Just Moffat from Grand Lake comes across. Dillon levels would be a better harbinger for Denver shortages. The Platte snowpack is doing OK for now. After last summer's low rainfall, most lakes supplying metro areas are very low.
 Reply by: Santiago84      Posted: 4/20/2021 12:12:16 PM     Points: 6573
The water in Granby does supply the front range through the Big Thompson Water Project. Water from Granby passes through Carter lake, Pinewood res, Estes Lake, Horsetooth res, Flatiron Res, the Little Thompson river, the Saint Vrain system, Boulder creek, and eventually into the South Platte drainage. People and Agriculture from Denver to Wray all depend on that water. But you are right that the Western slope and all the downstream states like Arizona, Nevada, and California are all gonna be hurting from low snow pack too. Water in the West in a mess and these low snow years push it to the limit.
 Reply by: ParkerDude      Posted: 4/20/2021 1:04:42 PM     Points: 1289
Yeah, I posted on, and am highlighting, "Granby" because I fish there a lot. I also live there part time. I didn't look at snowpack conditions other than the Upper Colorado River Headwaters. Lake Granby supplies a huge amount of water to the Front Range for sure, approximately from Loveland to the north. Pumping from Granby supplies most of the water that passes through Grand Lake to the Front Range. Almost no water from Granby ends up going to the Western Slope. Santiago84 has it right.
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