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Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

State Park in Salida, CO

Hours:

Park:  Open 24 hours a day, year-round

Visitor Center:  Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday.

Entrance Fees:

Daily Vehicle Pass: $​10
Individual Daily Pass: $4

Animals Permitted:

  • Leashed Dogs
  • Service Animals
  • Horses

Park Address:

307 West Sackett Ave.
Salida, CO 81201-1654
United States

Contact:

719-539-7289

[email protected]

Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

State Park in Salida, CO

Hours:

Park:  Open 24 hours a day, year-round

Visitor Center:  Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday.

Entrance Fees:

Daily Vehicle Pass: $​10
Individual Daily Pass: $4

Animals Permitted:

  • Leashed Dogs
  • Service Animals
  • Horses

Park Address:

307 West Sackett Ave.
Salida, CO 81201-1654
United States

Contact:

719-539-7289

[email protected]

Navigate to:

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    Construction Closures: Parkdale Boat Ramp, Ruby Mountain -

    Parkdale Boat Ramp is under construction through 4/15/25. Ruby Mountain Recreation Site is closed through 5/1/2025. There is a full road closure of County Rd. 300 near MM 2.2 at the entrance into Browns Canyon; and, full river closure of the Arkansas River from Fisherman's Bridge continuing Southeast to Ruby Mountain Campground. County Rd. 300 and this section of Arkansas River are closed to all vehicle, water craft and foot traffic as a result of unstable slope conditions encountered  during construction. The full road and river closure will continue until project completion.

    Waterflow Readings

    High Water Advisories

    Numbers

    No

    It is recommended that the Numbers (Section 1E) not be run when the river is flowing over 2400 cfs at the Numbers/Below Granite gage as read at 7:00 am for full day or morning trips and at 12:00 noon for afternoon Numbers trips. 


    1. Helmets must be worn at all water levels. 

    2. Wetsuits/dry suits are optional at all water levels depending upon weather and water conditions and advised when water levels are above 900 cfs as measured at the Numbers/Below Granite gage. 

    Pine Creek Rapid

    No

    It is recommended that Pine Creek Rapid (within Section 1D) not be run when the river is flowing over 1250 cfs at the Numbers/Below Granite gauge as read at 7:00 a.m. for full day or morning trips. 


    1. Helmets must be worn at all water levels. 

    2. Wetsuits/dry suits are optional at all water levels depending upon weather and water conditions and advised when water levels are above 900 cfs as measured at the Numbers/Below Granite gauge. 

    Royal Gorge

    No

    It is recommended that the Royal Gorge (Section 5) not be run at flows over 3200 cfs at the Parkdale gauge as read at 7:00 a.m. for full day or morning trips and at 12:00 noon for afternoon Royal Gorge trips. 


    1. Helmets must be worn at all water levels. 

    2. Wetsuits/drysuits are optional at all water levels depending upon weather and water conditions and advised when water levels are above 2800 cfs as measured at the Parkdale gauge. 
    Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

    Colors of Water

    View the Colors of Water report on the Arkansas Basin Water Operations Dashboard.
     

    Announcements

    January 24, 2025

    Water Order FAP 25-06

    Mount Elbert Powerplant


    GENERAL
    Mt. Elbert conduit is out of service.


    Sugarloaf Dam
    Monday, January 27, 2025 @ 0800 Hrs.
    Decrease the release from Twin Lakes from 150 cfs to 110 cfs.


    Tuesday, January 28, 2025 @ 0800 Hrs.
    Decrease the release from Twin Lakes from 110 cfs to 75 cfs.


    Wednesday, January 29, 2025 @ 0800 Hrs.
    Decrease the release from Twin Lakes from 75 cfs to 45 cfs.


    Thursday, January 30, 2025 @ 0800 Hrs.
    Decrease the release from Twin Lakes from 45 cfs to 15 cfs.


    Maintain until further notice.

    January 10, 2025

    Water Order FAP 25-05

    Mount Elbert Powerplant


    GENERAL
    Mt Elbert Generating Units will both be down for maintenance.


    Sugarloaf Dam
    Monday, January 13, 2025 @ 0800 Hrs.
    Stop releases to the Mt Elbert conduit from Sugarloaf Powerplant. Continue minimum bypass flows.


    Maintain until further notice.

    December 4, 2024

    Water Order FAP 25-04

    Mount Elbert Powerplant


    GENERAL
    The installation of the stoplogs for MTE Unit 2 is complete and the conduit from Sugarloaf Dam to Mt. Elbert Forebay is ready to run water again. The current plan is to run the conduit at full capacity (~375 cfs) until we fill the forebay back up to the minimum pumping elevation of 9630 ft. The fish hatchery will continue to run 15 cfs so the water available for the powerplant will be less.


    Sugarloaf Dam
    Wednesday, December 4, 2024 @ 1400 Hrs.
    Start releases to the Mt Elbert conduit from Sugarloaf Dam, run the conduit at full capacity.


    Maintain until further notice.

    November 25, 2024

    Water Order FAP 25-03

    Mount Elbert Powerplant


    GENERAL 
    The conduit from Sugarloaf Dam to Mt. Elbert Forebay will be closed for an outage from 11/26/2024 at 0800 hrs until 12/3/2024 at 1700 hrs. This outage is for installation of stop logs in MTE Unit 2 for repair work. 


    Sugarloaf Dam 
    Tuesday, November 26, 2024 @ 0800 Hrs. Stop releases to the Mt Elbert conduit from Sugarloaf Dam. 


    Maintain until further notice.

    November 19, 2024

    Water Order FAP25-02 Amended

    Mount Elbert Powerplant


    GENERAL
    We will begin the winter water program operations on November 15, 2024. We will increase the release from Twin Lakes for winter operations. CSU will not store their 3 cfs right in Turquoise.


    Sugarloaf Dam
    Friday, November 15, 2024 at 00:00 Hrs.
    Continue the 3 cfs native release to Lake Fork Creek.


    Twin Lakes Dam
    Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 09:00 Hrs.
    Increase the release from Twin Lakes by 40 cfs of project water.


    Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at 09:00 Hrs.
    Increase the release from Twin Lakes by 45 cfs of project water.


    Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 09:00 Hrs.
    Increase the release from Twin Lakes by 45 cfs of project water.


    Friday, November 15, 2024 at 00:00 Hrs.
    Convert the 15 cfs native release to project.


    Store all native inflows to Twin Lakes for Twin Lakes Canal Company.


    Maintain these flows until further notice.

    Waterflow Levels

    The information below depicts the Flow Program Target and the flow of the Arkansas River as measured in cubic feet per second (cfs) at the Wellsville Gauge near Salida, CO. This page also tracks, in acre feet (af), the amount of water released as part of the summer component of the Voluntary Flow Program. For reference, a flow of 1 cfs for 24 hours is 1.98 af.

    Waterflow Summary

    Program Water

    1000

    Flow Program Releases

    793

    Estimated Program Water Remaining

    207

    Waterflow Gauge Locations

    Wellsville

    243 cfs

    View Dashboard