Home

Rambunctious streamflows in the Elk and Yampa rivers cooled off with the weather Thursday. However, higher temperatures Sa--turday could produce another spike in the rivers.

A flood warning remained in effect for people living along the Elk River and its tributaries.

Routt County engineer Lou Gabos said road crews were able to reopen Routt County Road 42 northwest of Steamboat Springs on Thursday.

"It's open this morning," Gabos said. "It's a little bit rough. If the water comes up, we might have to close again."

The Elk chalked up single-day records with streamflows above 6,000 cubic feet per second Monday and Tuesday. The river went over its banks and overwhelmed a pair of large culverts west of a bridge where C.R. 42 crosses the river. The water washed out portions of a 200-foot stretch of the unpaved road. Nearby residents still were able to reach their homes, even when the road closed.

The National Weather Service in Grand Jun--ction is forecasting that the tem--perature in Steamboat Springs on Saturday could jump to 77 degrees compared to today's forecast high of 70. A flood warning remained in effect for the Elk.

"At 5 a.m. Thursday, the stage of the Elk River near Milner (at U.S. Highway 40) peaked at 6.9 feet. Flood stage is 7 feet," the NWS reported. "Residents along the Elk River and its tributaries should be prepared for flooding and take precautions, as necessary. Keep abreast of current water levels and never drive across inundated roads."

The Elk parallels C.R. 129 (Elk River Road) for much of the length of the primary road to Steamboat Lake State Park.

A tour of the road didn't turn up any flooding problems for holiday campers destined for the state park. However, Wil--low Creek, which flows out of the dam at Steamboat Lake, was over its banks near the bridge on C.R. 129. All that could be seen of the culverts that help drain the water was a whirlpool.

The Elk stood at 5,110 cfs Thursday morning. That level was just 50 cfs below the record for the date.

The Yampa River at the Fifth Street bridge in Steamboat was flowing at 2,530 cfs Thursday. That's down from 3,300 cfs overnight Wednesday and compares to the record of 4,930 cfs for the date.

-- To reach Tom Ross call 871-4205

or e-mail tross@steamboatpilot.com