Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
State Park in Salida, CO
Hours:
Park: Open 24 hours a day, year-round
Visitor Center: Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Sunday.
Closures
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
Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
State Park in Salida, CO
Hours:
Park: Open 24 hours a day, year-round
Visitor Center: Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Sunday.
Closures
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
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Waterflow Readings
High Water Advisories
| Rapid | Advisory in Effect | High Water Advisement | High Water Equipment Advisement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
|
| 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. |
|
| 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. |
|
Colors of Water
View the Colors of Water report on the Arkansas Basin Water Operations Dashboard.
Announcements
| Date | Announcement | Details |
|---|---|---|
| May 18, 2025 | Decrease at Twin Lakes | From USBR: We are going to decrease the release from Twin Lakes by 100 cfs today at 0700 hrs. After the gate operation, we'll be releasing 156 cfs with about 1 cfs of account and the rest native. |
| May 14, 2025 | Increase in Twin Release | From USBR: We're going to increase the release from Twin by 50 cfs at 07:30. After the gate operation, we'll be releasing 256 cfs- about 1 cfs of account and the rest native. |
| May 12, 2025 | Increase in Twin Release | From USBR: We're going to increase the release from Twin Lakes by 40 cfs at 08:00 and 35 cfs at 08:30 this morning. After the gate operations, we'll be releasing 205 cfs, about 1 cfs of account and the rest native. |
| May 8, 2025 | Increase in Twin Release | From USBR: We’re going to increase the release from Twin Lakes by 40 cfs at 08:00 this morning, 8 May. After the gate operation, we’ll be releasing 123 cfs, about 11 cfs of account and the rest native. |
| May 6, 2025 | Water Order FAP 25-14 | Mount Elbert Powerplant GENERAL Twin Lakes Dam Maintain 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
| Gauge | Value | Water Flow Data |
|---|---|---|
| Wellsville | 889 cfs |