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

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 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

Contact:

719-539-7289

[email protected]

Navigate to:

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

August 26, 2024

Increase in Twin Release

From USBR: We’re going to increase the Twin Lakes release by 25 cfs this morning at 0900 hrs.After this gate change, we’ll be releasing 62 cfs for contract accounts and the rest native.

June 17, 2024

Decreases in Twin and Turquoise Releases

From USBR:


We’re going to decrease the Turquoise release down Lake Fork by 10 cfs this morning at 08:00. After the gate operation, we’ll be releasing 308 cfs, all of which is native.


We’re going to decrease the Twin release by 100 cfs in two 50 cfs cuts at 10:00 and 11:00. After the gate operations, we’ll be releasing 550 cfs, almost all of which is native.

June 16, 2024

Decrease in Twin Release

From USBR:


We’re going to cut 100 cfs from Twin- 50 cfs at 07:30 and another 50 cfs at 08:00. After the gate operations, we’ll be releasing 655 cfs, almost all of which is native.

June 15, 2024

Decrease in Twin and Turquoise Releases

From USBR:


We’re going to decrease the TURQUOISE release by 10 cfs at 08:00 this morning. After the gate operation, we’ll be releasing 319 cfs, all of which is native. 


We’re going to decrease the Twin release by 100 cfs in two 50 cfs cuts at 07:30 and 09:30 this morning. After the gate operations, we’ll be releasing 750 cfs, all but 5 cfs of which is native.

June 14, 2024

Decreases in Twin and Turquoise Releases

From USBR: 


We’re going to cut another 10 cfs from the Turquoise release down Lake Fork Creek at 08:00. This will leave us at 335 cfs release after the gate operation, all of which is native.


We’ll cut the Twin release by 100 cfs in two 50 cfs decreases at 07:30 and 09:30. That will be 845 cfs after the gate operations with about 1 cfs of account releases 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

889 cfs

View Dashboard