Mcphee Reservoir reservoir
Mcphee Reservoir
McPhee Reservoir is a man-made lake located in southwest Colorado, constructed in 1984. It was built to provide water storage for irrigation, municipal, and industrial purposes. The reservoir has a capacity of over 381,000 acre-feet and covers an area of 4,470 acres. It is fed by the Dolores River and the West Fork of the Dolores River, with snowpack being the primary surface flow provider. The reservoir is used for irrigation by local farmers and ranchers, as well as for recreational activities such as boating, fishing, and camping. The hydrology of the reservoir is closely monitored by the Bureau of Reclamation, and water levels are managed to balance the needs of various stakeholders, including the environment.
Daily levels at Mcphee Reservoir
Storage volume, pool elevation, and total release plotted from the operating agency's daily observations.
Storage
acre-ft · code 17
Inflow
cfs · code 29
Pool Elevation
ft · code 49
Total Release
cfs · code 42
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Mcphee Reservoir -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Dolores River At Dolores | 75 cfs | → |
| Lost Canyon Creek Near Dolores | · | → |
| Mcelmo Creek Above Trail Canyon Near Cortez | 18 cfs | → |
| Mud Creek At State Highway 32 | 12 cfs | → |
| Dolores River Below Rico | 27 cfs | → |
| Mcelmo Creek Near Colorado-Utah State Line | 3 cfs | → |
About Mcphee Reservoir
Where does the data for Mcphee Reservoir come from?
Daily storage, pool elevation, and release rates are sourced from USGS, USBR, and USACE monitoring stations. Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
Storage observations are updated daily by the operating agency. The 15-day weather forecast refreshes throughout the day. Snoflo caches and renders the most recent observation -- check the "as of" timestamp on the storage card.
What does the Hazard hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card below for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this reservoir, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.