New recreational opportunities on the Arkansas River are providing Pueblo residents with additional activity options. But what impact could this park and other developments have on the streamflow of the Arkansas River?
WATCH: City of Pueblo wants your opinion on how to improve access to area of new waterpark
A viewer recently reached out to us concerned about new recreational spots along the Arkansas River and the impact these may have on water flow and fish habitats. Let’s take a look at this from a water science perspective.
Pueblo’s Waterworks Park opened on March 22nd this year. The park repurposes the existing Southside Diversion Dam and features hiking trails, open spaces, and opportunities for boating and fishing.
The Arkansas River’s source region is the central Sawatch Mountains and is also fed by parts of the Wet Mountains and Pikes Peak region. The Arkansas River’s flow rate - the amount of water flowing through it at any given time - does indeed vary dramatically throughout the year.
The snowmelt from these mountains leads to a seasonal maximum in waterflow, typically in early summer. But the impact of this new park actually improves the river’s health.
The current streamflow of the Arkansas River at Avondale, downstream of this new project, is just under four feet. This is right on target for the river at this time of year. Last year on this date the river was lower at a height of about three point three feet. This indicates the new park is not harming downstream flow rates in the Arkansas.
A bigger determinant of streamflow is snowpack. The plot above shows the height of the river at Avondale since April 5th, 2024. There's a clear peak in early June. On the other end of the scale - streamflow is lowest from October to March with cold temperatures locking moisture in the mountains.
The new Waterworks Park includes a new fish passage for fish migration. A spokesperson for Pueblo Water says the new Waterworks Park has no impact on water flow rates in the river. In addition, the park improves the gold medal fishing water status of the river by allowing fish to spawn in the region of the dam, which was not possible before this project.
So while it may look like these new developments are harming the health of the Arkansas River, this project actually improved it. If you have a weather or climate question you want answered, you can email us at weather@koaa.com.
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