Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
State Park in Salida, CO
Hours:
Park: Open 24 hours a day, year-round
Visitor Center: Mon.-Tues., Thurs.-Sat. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wed. 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed 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
Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
State Park in Salida, CO
Hours:
Park: Open 24 hours a day, year-round
Visitor Center: Mon.-Tues., Thurs.-Sat. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wed. 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed 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
Navigate to:
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 |
|---|---|---|
| June 4, 2025 | Increase in Twin Release | From USBR: We're going to increase the release from Twin by 20 cfs at 08:00 this morning. After the gate operation, we'll be releasing 520 cfs- about 1 cfs from accounts and the rest native. |
| May 30, 2025 | Increase in Twin Release | From USBR: We're going to increase the release from Twin today by another 130 cfs- 50 cfs at 08:00, 50 cfs at 08:30 and 30 cfs at 09:00. After the gate operation, we'll be releasing 497 cfs, about 1 cfs from accounts and the rest native. |
| May 29, 2025 | Increase in Twin Release | From USBR: We're going to increase the Twin release by 150 cfs today in 3 gate operations today (29 May). The first will be 50 cfs at 08:00, next 50 cfs at 08:30 and last 50 cfs at 09:00. After the final gate op, we'll be releasing 315 cfs- about 1 cfs of account and the rest native. |
| May 29, 2025 | Increase in Twin Release | From USBR: We've increased the release from Twin by another 50 cfs this morning, bringing the total release from Twin to 365 cfs. |
| May 28, 2025 | Increase in Twin Release | From USBR: We're going to increase the native release from Twin by 35 cfs at 08:00 on 28 May. After the gate ops, we'll be releasing a total of 165 cfs- about 1 of accounts and the rest of 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
0
Estimated Program Water Remaining
1000
Waterflow Gauge Locations
| Gauge | Value | Water Flow Data |
|---|---|---|
| Wellsville | 820 cfs |