Big Thompson River Forecasting

Eastern Colorado Area Office

• Manages projects local to Colorado’s Front Range

• Numerous activities and responsibilities

• Two main projects:– Colorado-Big

Thompson– Fryingpan-Arkansas

The Eastern Colorado Area Office in Loveland, CO

The Colorado-Big Thompson Project

The Colorado-Big Thompson Project

Natural Inflow can be Skimmed

The Colorado-Big Thompson Project

Big Thompson Forecasting Project

• CHPS FEWS System• Natural Inflow to Lake Estes• Natural Flow on North Fork at Drake• Big Thompson River at Mouth of Canyon

• Forecasts• 1-hr Timestep• Short-term• Ensembles

Big Thompson Forecasting Project

• Implemented by Riverside, missing runoff 2013 opportunity.

• To be Operated in 2014 by ECAO• Eventually, transferred to MBRFC• Partnership for Forecasting• MBRFC—Day-to-day forecasting and

maintenance• ECAO—Occasional forecasting and

scenario investigation

Big Thompson Forecasting Project

Big Thompson Forecasting Project

Big Thompson Forecasting Project

Thank you and Questions