GOLDEN, Colo. — Businesses that offer tubing and kayaking on Clear Creek in Golden are watching water levels closely as the city enters Stage 1 Drought restrictions and the creek is running at 55% of its typical streamflow for this time of year.
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Beth Battilla, owner of Adventure West, said the tubing company may start its tubing operations as early as Memorial Day instead of late June. She said the company may also shorten its float route depending on conditions.
"We suspect we might just change our float a little bit. You know, we might have a recommended area that people just do over and over and over, rather than a full float," Battilla said. "I think we're going to see an earlier season, and I think we're going to be open for a much wider variety of swimming abilities and age groups from the get go, just because of the much lower flow rate."
Clear Creek is running at 63.7 cubic feet per second as of Saturday, compared to 115 cubic feet per second at the same time last year, according to Snoflo.
"In the past, it's not really dropped below 75 or 80, even in the late, late summer, early fall, and that's been runnable. Right now, it's a little bit below that," Battilla said.
She's hoping a wetter-than-average monsoon season could provide some relief this summer. Denver7 Meteorologist Stacey Donaldson said because of the dramatic snowpack deficit, the monsoon season could help, but will likely not be enough to replenish the water supply.
"I don't know that it's going to be a drought breaker," Donaldson said. "And if it is, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. If it's a lot of rain, we could see flooding. Because we already have the dry ground and it can't absorb a lot, then that could be trouble as well," Donaldson said.
For now, outdoor enthusiasts are making the most of what's available.
"Definitely a little bit of low water today, a little lower than we'd like," one kayaker said. "I mean, maybe not quite as fun, not as much features to play in and stuff, but I mean, from a water safety standpoint, I guess it's actually a little bit safer, you know, without high flows and stuff."
