The City of Boulder and Boulder County safety officials are predicting Boulder Creek’s water level to rise noticeably within the next few days due to higher temperatures and increased snowpack runoff.
In an advisory released by the City of Boulder, officials said they are expecting the increased water level to affect underpasses near the creek, and Barker Reservoir is expected to fill and begin spilling by Wednesday, June 8.
In coordination with the Colorado Department of Transportation’s current work to remove debris from the creek in Boulder Canyon, city officials will begin releasing water from the reservoir this afternoon. Officials are hoping that by slowly releasing water from the reservoir into the creek, they can prevent the reservoir from spilling over too quickly.
Current flow levels of the creek at Broadway are 200 cubic feet per second (cfs), but by the end of the day on Tuesday, the water level could reach 500 cfs. Should the reservoir spill, the creek level could reach 600 cfs to 800 cfs at Broadway. Any additional rainfall would further increase the water level.
City officials are advising those in areas around the creek to be extra cautious while authorities evaluate whether a tubing ban is necessary.
For more information, visit http://1.usa.gov/jruU8N.
