Fryingpan River – Anchor Ice Project

Background

Low flows in the winter months on the Fryingpan River cause the build up of anchor ice, which can damage river habitat when it begins to melt and release in the spring.

Tool

Reservoir Releases

Colorado Water Trust and our partners purchase and release water from Ruedi Reservoir in the winter months to boost water levels, mitigating the impacts of anchor ice on the Fryingpan River. Anchor ice survey results will be compared to previous two years to continue to observe trends and build a long-term data set.

Partners

Colorado River District, Colorado Water Conservation Board, Roaring Fork Conservancy

Impact

Through 2023, the Anchor Ice project has restored

1.38
Billion gallons

3,865
Acre-feet of water to the Fryingpan River.

Timeline

2022 - Present