Pueblo Water addresses low flows at Pueblo Dam tailwaters

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- The stretch of the Arkansas River behind the Pueblo Dam is currently experiencing "unusually low flows."

That's according to Pueblo Water, which says multiple years of drought and current hydrologic conditions are causing the low flows.

The Pueblo Dam tailwater fishery is a popular sport fishery for non-native trout. Pueblo Water says the fishery has proven resilient in the past and the current conditions are not expected to have any long-term negative impacts on the fishery.

According to Pueblo Water, releases from the Pueblo Dam are controlled by the Bureau of Reclamation as directed by the Colorado Division of Water Resources (DWR). There is a "Memorandum of Understanding" between Pueblo Water and Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) that mitigates the low flows by requiring Pueblo Water and
CSU to release water from their storage accounts at Pueblo Reservoir to maintain the total release from Pueblo Dam at 50 cubic feet per second (CFS).

Pueblo Water says they have been in close communication with the DWR, Reclamation, and
Colorado Parks & Wildlife and are ready to release water in compliance with the memorandum.

Pueblo Water added that it is not possible to precisely adjust the valve at Pueblo Dam nor is it possible to precisely measure the water flow in the river, but all parties involved are "doing everything
technically feasible" to make sure that the total release of water from the Pueblo Dam does not drop
below 50 cfs.