GREEN RIVER, WYOMING — Water managers have ordered an additional withdrawal of approximately 1 million acre-feet from Flaming Gorge Reservoir between April 2026 and April 2027. This additional release is projected to lower the reservoir's elevation by about 35 feet over the following year, reaching approximately 59 percent of capacity.

The reservoir's water levels are currently dropping. Tony Valdez, owner of Buckboard Marina south of Green River, Wyoming, estimates the reservoir has dropped by 7 feet since April. The boat ramp at the marina has buckled due to these dropping water levels. An older Green River resident received a refund after being unable to safely access a boat slip there. Valdez stated, "It is devastating, not just to me, it is all the marina owners."

The reservoir operates as a backup water supply for the Colorado River system under a legal compact, according to federal officials. It is designated to maintain a minimum flow of 7.5 million acre-feet of water at Lees Ferry on a 10-year running average, along with other upper Colorado River Basin reservoirs. Valdez is concerned that reservoir levels could drop below the ideal elevation required for kokanee salmon to spawn.

Water managers set the reservoir's outflow to approximately 1,100 cubic feet per second in April to achieve the targeted 1 million acre-feet release. An early May water flush temporarily increased the outflow to about 8,600 cubic feet per second. A second 72-hour flush that commenced on June 8 temporarily increased the outflow to about 4,600 cubic feet per second. The reservoir held approximately 2.83 million acre-feet of water as of May 25. The Bureau of Reclamation began withdrawing water from the reservoir in 2021. The marina's water level reached a historically low point in 2022. Reservoir levels recovered in 2023 following a year of increased moisture but have continued to decline since then.

Tens of thousands of visitors travel to Flaming Gorge annually to fish for kokanee salmon and lake trout, supporting local economies in southwestern Wyoming and northeastern Utah. Valdez stated, "I think people do not realize the economic value it brings." Receding water levels force fish into a smaller area, concentrating the fishery toward the dam side of the reservoir.