Other Related News

The Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership (UWP) is raising awareness about the importance of understanding streamflows and peak flows through an annual contest – the Uncompahgre River Classic. Keep up with the Classic updates to learn about how important river flows are to our watershed. Plus, you can enter the contest with your prediction of the date and time that the Uncompahgre River above the Ridgway Reservoir will hit its peak flow this May and June to win great prizes!

One FREE entry per person!
Entry Period: March 1 to May 1, 2024.
The winner of the Uncompahgre River Classic will be announced at Ridgway RiverFest on June 29.
Only people who are 13 years old and up may enter, but we encourage families to make predictions together with their children.

What do you know about streamflows and the peak flow of the Uncompahgre River?

The staff and board of UWP hope you will take this opportunity learn more about the Upper Uncompahgre River Watershed by checking out our streamflow blog posts, where you can read about how and why monitoring streamflows and annual peak flows are important, and while you are on each page, test your knowledge with our mini quizzes. See last year’s streamflow blog posts. It’s fun plus you can win a RiverFest shirt or hat!

For resources of streamflow data in the Upper Uncompahgre River Watershed, check out this watershed page.
You can also check out information about the 2023 peak flow, 2022 peak flow, and the 2021 peak flow.

____________________________

2024 Prizes

First Prize: Black hole duffel , 70L (value: $199) and a fly fishing cap (value: $39)

Second Prize: Black hole backpack, 25L, Belay Blue (value: $149)

Third Prize: Yeti coffee mug (value: $25) donated by Voyage Books and RiverFest shirt or hat (value: $25)

OFFICIAL 2024 UNCOMPAHGRE RIVER CLASSIC ENTRY FORM

– one FREE entry per person –

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

PEAK FLOW PREDICTION *

Date

Time

Please ONLY select a date between May 2 (12:00 a.m.) and June 28 (11:45 p.m.). Then, pick a time to the nearest 15 minutes i.e. 12:00, 12:15, 12:30 or 12:45.

Peak Flow Rate (optional, used for a tie breaker)

You can type in a number (you don’t have to use the arrows in the box). This answer is not required. However, in the case that more than two people make similar correct or closest predictions, the person who fills in this blank with the closest correct flow rate will be the prize winner. The volume of river flows are estimated by cubic feet per second (cfs). Over the past 10 years, the peak flow measured at the selected location of the Uncompahgre River has ranged from 288 cfs to 1,460 cfs.

Name *

First

Last

Phone *

Email *

Mailing Address *

City or Town *

State *

Zip Code *

Entry Date *

Please fill in the date when you make your entry with your prediction. In the case that more than one person makes the correct or closest prediction to the peak flow date and time as well as the cubic feet per second, the person who purchased an entry first will be the winner.

Please consider donating to UWP to help support the creation of this contest and the streamflow information campaign that goes along with it. You can donate by clicking on the water droplet on the right margin of this page! We recommend $10 to $20 but any amount is appreciated! Thank you.

Note: If your entry is successfully submitted, you will get an email confirmation from Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership with a record of your prediction(s) and contact information.

If you do not see an email confirmation in your inbox, please check your spam/junk folder. If a confirmation is not there, your entry was not submitted successfully. Typically, the issue is accidentally not entering required information or not adequately clicking on the submit button. You may retry your entry or email Tanya at tanya@uncompahgrewatershed.org for help.

RULES & GUIDELINES

Price: One FREE entry per person. Donations are much appreciated to help support UWP’s education activities about streamflow science.

Guess/Entry Purchase Period: March 1 through May 1, 2024

Peak Flow Predictions: Entrants must predict the date and the time of the Uncompahgre River’s peak flow from spring runoff between May 1 (12:00 a.m.) through June 28 (11:45 p.m.), 2024. Predictions will be in increments of 15 minutes i.e. 12:00, 12:15, 12:30, and 12:45.

Winner Announcement: June 29, 2024 (at Ridgway RiverFest). You do not have to be present to win. Winners will also be notified by email and phone.

Peak Flow Determination: The correct prediction will be based on the peak flow of the Uncompahgre River, above the Ridgway Reservoir, that results from snowmelt between May 2 and June 28, 2024. UWP will use measurements from the U.S. Geological Survey gage at County Road 24 to determine the top three predictions.

Winner Determination: The winner of the Uncompahgre River Classic will be the entrant who predicted the closest date and time to the actual date and time of the peak flow. If more than one entrant is equally close to predicting the correct date and time, the entrant who paid for their entry first will be the winner. If more than one entrant is equally close or correct in their prediction and paid for their entries at the same time, the entrant who also predicts the flow rate (cubic feet per second) closest to the actual peak flow will be the winner. The second through fifth place winners will be determined similarly. Each entrant may only win one prize. If entrants have more than one of closest prediction among the top five, they may not win a second prize. The entrant with the next closest prediction will be selected to win the next prize.

Disclaimers: Flows outside the designated peak flow period outlined in the contest rules, and in locations other than the designated U.S.G.S. gage will not be considered in this contest.

Eligibility: Only people who are 13 years old and up may enter the contest (families with children under 13 are encouraged to make their predictions together and enter under the parent/guardian name). Board members and contracted staff of the Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership as well as immediate family members living in their household are not eligible to win prizes in the Uncompahgre River Classic.

Prize Pickup: Winners must pick up their prizes in Ridgway, Colo. UWP will not ship prizes, unless winners pay shipping costs.

Entrant Agreement: By entering a prediction in the Uncompahgre River Classic, the entrant agrees to receive emails from UWP through the period of the contest: March 1 to June 29, 2024. Emails will primarily give updates on the contest, educational information about peak flows/streamflows and related UWP activities. Afterwards, entrants will only continue to receive emails from UWP if they subscribe to updates on the form in the top right margin of UWP’s website or at the link in the thank you confirmation for each purchase. UWP may also send one mailing to entrants’ mailing addresses annually related to our nonprofit’s membership drive. Please email info@uncompahgrewatershed.org if you wish to be taken off the membership drive list. UWP will only give entrant contact information to the contest sponsors, who may contact you but must request your permission to be added to any regular mailing lists.

If you have any questions about the Uncompahgre River Classic, please contact UWP Communications Director Tanya Ishikawa at info@uncompahgrewatershed.org or 970-325-3010.

UPCOMING EVENTS

UWP Board Meetings

Open to Public: Every other month* on 2nd Thursday 4-6 p.m.

(Jan. 11, March 14, May 9, July 11, Sept. 12, and Nov. 14)

Working Group Meetings will be held during the other months. UWP’s new Working Groups are: Watershed Work, Financials/Fundraising, Operations, and Education/Outreach. If you are interested in volunteering on a working group, please contact Tanya at tanya@uncompahgrewatershed.org.

* Please contact UWP Board Secretary Taylor Poyner at uwpcoordinator@gmail.com to confirm meeting date and time if you plan to attend. Some meetings may be rescheduled or cancelled based on necessity.

2024 Events

Uncompahgre River Classic

Entries open on March 1 and close on May 1, 2024

Learn more about our annual peak flow prediction contest

Rocky Mountain Mining & Reclamation Conference

Wed.-Fri., May 22-24, 2024

Learn more, sponsor, and submit an abstract. Registration open.

Rollans Park volunteer morning

May or June 2024

Ridgway RiverFest

Saturday, June 29, 2024

More information coming in Jan. 2024

Ridgway Reservoir Cleanup

Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024

Ridgway State Park, in collaboration with Colorado Parks & Wildlife

Love Your Gorge

October 12, 2024

Join us at Ouray Ice Park and the Uncompahgre River Gorge in Ouray.

PAST EVENTS

A Benefit for the Uncompahgre River – Fly Fishing Film Tour

Sat., March 16, Doors open at 5pm. Ouray County 4H Event Center

UWP 10th Anniversary Celebration

Thursday, Nov. 16, 5:30-8pm. Ouray Community Center. Potluck dinner, slide show, and a special speaker!

Cheatgrass Treatment Workshop

Tue., Nov. 7, 5 to 8:30 p.m. Ouray County Event Center. Sponsored by Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. Hosted by Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership and Shavano Conservation District.

The Next 10 Years of the Upper Uncompahgre River Watershed

Tue., Oct. 17, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Ouray Community Center. Funded by Telluride Foundation and CDPHE Non-Point Source Program.

Love Your Gorge

Saturday, October 14, 2023, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Uncompahgre River Gorge, Ouray Ice Park

Watershed Restoration in the Ironton Park Area

Sat., Oct. 7, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A free guided field trip

Ridgway Reservoir Cleanup at Ridgway State Park

Fri., Oct. 6, 9 a.m. to noon. Hosted by Colorado Parks & Wildlife.

Water Quality Monitoring in the Upper Unc

Sat., Sept. 30, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A free guided field trip

Watershed Restoration in the Upper Unc

Fri., Sept. 29, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. A free guided field trip

Taking Care of the Uncompahgre River Valley

Wednesday, August 16, 2023, The Forum at Colorado Mesa University Montrose, Community Room

Mine Site Remediation in the Uncompahgre River’s Headwaters

Tuesday, July 18, 2023, Evenings of History at the Wright Opera House

Ridgway RiverFest

Saturday, June 24, 2023, Rollans Park, Ridgway

Taking Care of the Uncompahgre River Valley

Thursday, June 15, Presentation at Montrose Library

Rollans Park Adopt-A-Park Riparian Restoration

Saturday, June 17, Rollans Park, Ridgway

World’s Largest Swimming Lesson at Ridgway State Park

Thursday, June 22, Ridgway State Park Swim Beach at Dutch Charlie- CANCELLED

Uncompahgre River Classic

Peak flow contest and river flow awareness campaign

March 1-May 1, 2023

A Benefit for the Uncompahgre River

Int’l Fly Fishing Film Festival, Ouray County 4H Event Center, Ridgway, March 18, 2023

Snow Research Meets Water Resources Operations in the San Juans

Current and Future Collaborations with CSU, Silverton, February 7, 2023

Colorado Gives Day Fundraiser

December 6, 2022

Reconnect & Reboot

A meetup in Ouray organized by the San Juan Mining & Reclamation Conference Committee

Sept. 29 & 30, 2022, Wright Opera House, Ouray Hydroelectric Plant, The Western, Red Mountain Pass, Camp Bird Road, Colorado Boy Southwest Pub, Sauvage Spectrum

Guided Snowshoe Exploration of Winter Wildlife

Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022

Guided Snowshoe Tour to Red Mountain Mining District

Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022

The Uncompahgre River and its Tributaries

The name of the Uncompahgre River comes from the Ute word that means red water, muddy water or a water that is slow moving. The Utes lived along the river since early times because of the water, plants and wildlife.

Flowing from the headwaters in the San Juan Mountains, the river is the artery of a large watershed and one reason many people choose to live here in Ouray County. Whether enjoying recreation on and around the river and the Ridgway Reservoir or using the valuable natural resource for irrigating agricultural fields, we rely on the watershed to support our lifestyles.

The Uncompahgre River drains 1,115 square miles of the Gunnison Basin in southwestern Colorado. This drainage area includes parts of Delta, Montrose, Ouray, Gunnison, Hinsdale, San Juan and San Miguel Counties in southwest Colorado.

The elevation ranges from 14,158 feet at the peak of Mt. Sneffels to 4,915 feet at the mouth in Delta. The Uncompahgre River originates in Lake Como at 12,215 feet in the Uncompahgre National Forest. It flows approximately 75 miles northwest past the City of Ouray, Town of Ridgway, City of Montrose, and Town of Olathe and joins the Gunnison River at Confluence Park in the City of Delta.

Download and print the basics about The Uncompahgre Watershed in Ouray County

Download the facts and figures about the watershed in the UWP Brochure.

Major tributaries to the Uncompahgre River in Ouray County:

Canyon Creek, Cow Creek, Dallas Creek, Red Mountain Creek, Corbett Creek, Portland Creek, Dexter Creek, Bear Creek, Oak Creek, Cascade Creek, Cutler Creek

Learn about the lower Uncompahgre River watershed:

Many other organizations also keep track of and share information about the Uncompahgre River and surrounding watershed, and you can find those descriptions and details at the websites below:

Colorado River Outfitters Association

Colorado Fishing Network

Orvis

American Whitewater Association

You can also find data about water flows at the following links:

Plus, find information about walking along the river below:

Uncompahgre River Walking Loop from Ouray

Uncompahgre River Trail Plants from Ridgway (Thank you Peggy Lyon and the Northern San Juans BroadBand)

Uncompahgre Riverway Trail

KNOW YOUR STREAMFLOW: Forecasting streamflow with snowpack data

April 10, 2024April 10, 2024 Leave a comment

As much as 90% of the yearly water supply in the Colorado Rockies is derived from the SWE (snow water equivalent) in the snowpack. Water stored in the snowpack in winter months is released as…

KNOW YOUR STREAMFLOW: Snowpack’s importance to streamflow

When snowpack – the snow that accumulates on the ground – melts into liquid water, it supplies much of the streamflow in streams and rivers. This is especially important in a mountainous watershed like the…

Wetlands in Ironton area of Red Mountain Pass in Ouray County

Looking for Volunteers to Help Monitor Rare Plants

March 30, 2024March 29, 2024

Join a citizen science effort to monitor rare plant populations and plant communities. Training will be provided. Most of this work will involve looking for plants in Ouray County. There may also be opportunities to…

KNOW YOUR STREAMFLOW: Stream gauges

March 29, 2024April 1, 2024

The most common instrument or gauge for measuring streamflow is one like that used by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS stream gauge provides continuous measurements of streamflow in cubic feet per second (cfs),…

What do you know about streamflows and the peak flow of the Uncompahgre River?

2024 Prizes

sponsored by Patagonia Telluride

OFFICIAL 2024 UNCOMPAHGRE RIVER CLASSIC ENTRY FORM

– one FREE entry per person –

Please consider donating to UWP to help support the creation of this contest and the streamflow information campaign that goes along with it. You can donate by clicking on the water droplet on the right margin of this page! We recommend $10 to $20 but any amount is appreciated! Thank you.

RULES & GUIDELINES

UWP Board Meetings

2024 Events

Uncompahgre River Classic

Rocky Mountain Mining & Reclamation Conference

Rollans Park volunteer morning

Ridgway RiverFest

Ridgway Reservoir Cleanup

Love Your Gorge

PAST EVENTS

A Benefit for the Uncompahgre River – Fly Fishing Film Tour

UWP 10th Anniversary Celebration

Cheatgrass Treatment Workshop

The Next 10 Years of the Upper Uncompahgre River Watershed

Love Your Gorge

Watershed Restoration in the Ironton Park Area

Ridgway Reservoir Cleanup at Ridgway State Park

Water Quality Monitoring in the Upper Unc

Watershed Restoration in the Upper Unc

Taking Care of the Uncompahgre River Valley

Mine Site Remediation in the Uncompahgre River’s Headwaters

Ridgway RiverFest

Taking Care of the Uncompahgre River Valley

Rollans Park Adopt-A-Park Riparian Restoration

World’s Largest Swimming Lesson at Ridgway State Park

Uncompahgre River Classic

A Benefit for the Uncompahgre River

Snow Research Meets Water Resources Operations in the San Juans

Colorado Gives Day Fundraiser

Reconnect & Reboot

Guided Snowshoe Exploration of Winter Wildlife

Guided Snowshoe Tour to Red Mountain Mining District

KNOW YOUR STREAMFLOW: Forecasting streamflow with snowpack data

KNOW YOUR STREAMFLOW: Snowpack’s importance to streamflow

Looking for Volunteers to Help Monitor Rare Plants

KNOW YOUR STREAMFLOW: Stream gauges