Larimer County Water Intelligence Brief

June 8, 2026 | Free-Tier Edition

Situation Summary

Larimer County's two-river system — the Cache la Poudre and Big Thompson — is operating on a season defined by early meltout rather than current snowpack deficit: SNOTEL stations across both headwater zones melted out 4–6 weeks ahead of historical median meltout dates, meaning the seasonal snowmelt pulse arrived early and is largely complete. Streamflow on both rivers remains active as of June 8, with the Poudre corridor showing rising conditions and the Big Thompson at Loveland running at 88 cfs on a falling trend. Reservoir storage data for Horsetooth Reservoir and Carter Lake, along with 7-day forecast details and C-BT operational outlook, are available in the full brief.

Snowpack Conditions

All five SNOTEL stations monitoring Larimer County headwaters — spanning both the Big Thompson and Cache la Poudre watersheds — are reporting 0.0" snow water equivalent (SWE) as of June 7, 2026.

Big Thompson headwaters (Rocky Mountain National Park corridor):

These two stations are the primary snowpack indicators for the Big Thompson delivery corridor. Bear Lake is fully melted out. Willow Park shows a trace SWE reading of 0.3" with no snow depth recorded — a residual signal consistent with late-season conditions. No percent-of-median is shown for either station, indicating the historical median SWE for this date is also 0.0"; these stations are at their normal seasonal condition for early June. The accurate 2026 signal is timing: both stations melted out 4–6 weeks ahead of their historical median meltout dates.

Cache la Poudre headwaters:

Joe Wright is the lone station still carrying measurable snowpack, at 0.2" SWE — just 2% of its 9.1" historical median for this date. This is a below-normal reading for this specific station at this point in the calendar, and below-normal language is appropriate here. Deadman Hill is fully melted out and at 0% of its 2.4" median. Hourglass Lake shows 0.0" with no percent-of-median, consistent with normal seasonal meltout. The Poudre headwater picture mirrors the Big Thompson: the 2026 story is early meltout, not a current snowpack emergency.

Streamflow Conditions

Both river systems are carrying active flows as of June 8, 2026, though their trend directions differ.

Cache la Poudre River:

Both Poudre gauges are physically within Larimer County and reflect combined native Poudre flows, upstream ditch diversions, and Fort Collins municipal return flows entering the lower corridor. The rising trend at both gauges on June 8 is notable given the near-complete snowpack meltout — this may reflect recent precipitation or reservoir release timing, though no causal data is provided here. The close agreement between Fort Collins (279 cfs) and Timnath (276 cfs) suggests relatively limited net diversion or return flow differential between the two points on this date.

Big Thompson River:

The Loveland gauge captures combined native Big Thompson flow and any C-BT releases moving through the corridor from Lake Estes and Olympus Dam. At 88 cfs on a falling trend, the Big Thompson is running at a lower volume than the Poudre on this date. The falling trend is consistent with snowmelt recession following early meltout. C-BT operational releases from Northern Water can modulate this figure independently of snowmelt — consult Northern Water for current release scheduling.

Seasonal Guidance

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Data Sources: SNOTEL data through June 7, 2026; USGS streamflow data through June 8, 2026.

Data Current As Of: June 8, 2026. Institutional contacts verified against Colorado Division of Water Resources records.

Important Disclaimers: This brief provides automated analysis for informational purposes only. Specific numerical claims have not been independently verified. Consult official sources including your local water district, Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (Northern Water — headquartered in Berthoud, Larimer County; administers C-BT Project; Horsetooth Reservoir and Carter Lake data via northernwater.org or USBR HydroMet site HRT), City of Fort Collins Utilities, and Colorado Division of Water Resources Water Division 1 (Greeley office) for regulatory decisions and water rights administration. This brief does not constitute legal, engineering, or water rights advice.