As the Temperatures Rise in Colorado, So Do Fears of Flooding

DURANGO, Colo. —  Melting snow rushing off Colorado’s southern mountains Tuesday continued to swell high-running rivers near here as flooded pastures pushed horses to higher ground and white-water rapids enticed swarms of kayakers to the Animas River.

Jill Peters awoke to ducks swimming across her driveway after wetlands on her ranch filled to the brim, forcing her to wade through muddy, knee-high water outside her house. She said the Animas, which runs along her property in the valley north of town, was flowing at the highest she’s seen in decades, flooding pastures and lowlands.

“In the years of the drought, it was just a trickle. But we had huge trees flowing through here the other day,” Peters said, cautiously walking along the soggy riverbank. “It makes you a little anxious, but we live in nature, and you learn you can’t control it.”

Rivers and creeks across western Colorado were filled with icy, fast-moving water as above-average temperatures continued along the western slope of the Rocky Mountains, where water levels have been at their highest since the mid-1990s, National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Ramey said.

Nearly all of western Colorado remained under flood advisories. Peak runoff was expected to begin today and last through the Memorial Day weekend.

“We’re really emphasizing safety during the holiday weekend, because this is a real bad time to be getting into the water in any shape or form if you’re not an expert boater or kayaker,” Ramey said.

Paul Cowden, 53, steadied his kayak Tuesday afternoon on a protected inlet of the river before setting out for his first trip of the season.

“I’ve been paddling here for about 20 years, and this is the third time since I’ve been here it’s been this high,” he said, strapping on a helmet and adjusting his lifejacket.

“This is something not to be missed.”

Most of the highest-running rivers were in the southwest corner of the state, where heavy snowfall buried the San Juan Mountains and other ranges late in the season. Colder spring weather kept the snowpack frozen until temperatures began rising late last week.

“We’re getting temperatures some 15 to 20 degrees above normal, and that’s creating melting all over the mountains. Even the high-elevation slopes are continuing to melt overnight,” Ramey said.

Early afternoon temperatures peaked in the mid-80s, but the water from the snow wasn’t expected to hit the valley until about 10:30 p.m., Peters said.

Just two days ago, snow smoothed the mountains that are now jagged, barren, rocky peaks.

“The snow is just melting so fast,” Peters said, shading her eyes as she pointed to a shed that collapsed weeks ago under snow and then to a garage that flooded Tuesday night.

“But I’ll take this over the years of drought. We had fires all around us a few years ago,” she said, referring to the Missionary Ridge wildfire that engulfed 70,000 acres north of Durango in 2002.

Blackened tree trunks still stand among plush, green shrubs on the mountainside above Peters’ land. Authorities were concerned that dead trees and other debris from the fire could be swept into the river, clogging bridges and culverts, but the waterway has remained relatively clear.

“Everything’s going quite well. This is a little higher flow than we’ve seen in recent years, but it’s a natural process,” said Butch Knowlton, the director of emergency preparedness in La Plata County.