Boating flows are coming back, briefly, on the lower Dolores River.
They had ended prior to the Memorial Day weekend as managers of McPhee Dam sought to ensure that the reservoir would fill. Now, as temperatures warm and more snow melts, managers are planning to rapidly increase releases from the dam. Flows will rise Monday from the current 78 cubic feet per second to 800 cfs by Tuesday. 800 cfs is considered the minimum for boating. Flows may vary, fluctuating up to 1200 cfs. Managers say that counting Tuesday, there will be at least three days of boatable water, and there may be more, depending on snowmelt. They hope to have more precise information on Monday.