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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:

    Go

    Construction Closures: Parkdale Boat Ramp, Ruby Mountain -

    Parkdale Boat Ramp is under construction through 4/15/25. Ruby Mountain Recreation Site & Fisherman's Bridge are closed through 5/18/2025. There is a full road closure of County Rd. 300 near MM 2.2 at the entrance into Browns Canyon 8am-12pm & 1pm- 6pm daily. The affected section of Arkansas River from Fisherman's Bridge, continuing Southeast to Ruby Mountain Campground, will be open to passing boat traffic. During blasting or heavy scaling, a flagger will be in the river & there may be up to a 2-hour wait to pass. Fisherman's Bridge Recreation Site is under complete closure & Ruby Mountain Recreation Site is closed to camping during this time.

    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

    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.

    November 12, 2024

    Water Order FAP 25-02

    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.


    Sugarloaf Dam
    Friday, November 15, 2024 at 00:00 Hrs.
    Convert the release down Lake Fork Creek to project water.
    Begin storing 3 cfs of native inflow for Colorado Springs.


    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.

    October 15, 2024

    Water Order FAP 25-01

    Mount Elbert Powerplant


    General
    Unit 1 has returned to service. Turquoise Lake will be drafted for spring imports.


    Sugarloaf Dam
    Tuesday, October 15, 2024 0900 Hrs.
    Release 150 cfs from Sugarloaf Dam to Mt. Elbert Conduit.
    Maintain until further notice.

    October 7, 2024

    Increase in Twin Release

    From USBR:


    We are going to decrease the release from Twin Lakes by 27 cfs today at 0900 hrs.  After the gate operation, we’ll be releasing 15 cfs - about 2 cfs account and the rest native."

    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

    385 cfs

    View Dashboard