Larimer County Water Intelligence Brief

October 12, 2026 | Free-Tier Edition

Situation Summary

Along both river corridors this week, flows are at low seasonal levels characteristic of late-season recession — the Big Thompson at Loveland is running 4 cfs (falling), while the Cache la Poudre is at 14 cfs (rising) at both the Fort Collins and Timnath gauges. For irrigators still managing late-season alfalfa cuttings, hay operations, or livestock watering along the Poudre and Big Thompson corridors, current delivery conditions reflect the tail end of the irrigation season with limited native flow available. Reservoir storage data for Horsetooth and Carter Lake, along with 7-day forecast details, are available in the full brief.

Snowpack Conditions

All five SNOTEL stations monitoring Larimer County's two river systems are reporting conditions consistent with normal mid-October seasonal patterns — snowpack accumulation has not yet begun in meaningful quantities at any station.

Big Thompson headwaters (Rocky Mountain National Park corridor):

Cache la Poudre headwaters:

Where percent-of-median figures are shown — Joe Wright at 50% and Deadman Hill at 16% — these indicate early-accumulation readings that bear watching but remain within the noise of early-October variability. Where no percent-of-median is shown (Bear Lake, Willow Park), the median SWE for this date is also 0.0", meaning those stations are at normal seasonal condition. Background context: the 2026 water year was defined by an anomalous March heat wave that drove meltout 4–6 weeks ahead of the historical median across all five stations — that early-season story now belongs to the record books as new accumulation season begins.

Streamflow Conditions

The two-river system presents a split picture this week.

Big Thompson River at Loveland (USGS 06741510): 4 cfs, falling. This gauge captures combined native Big Thompson flow and any C-BT system releases through the Loveland agricultural reach. At 4 cfs and falling, the channel is operating at minimal late-season levels. Irrigators drawing from the Big Thompson corridor below Olympus Dam should anticipate continued declining native flows as the season closes.

Cache la Poudre River at Fort Collins (USGS 06752260): 14 cfs, rising. This in-county gauge on Colorado's only federally designated Wild and Scenic River corridor shows a modest rising signal, which may reflect Fort Collins municipal return flow contributions or localized runoff — no causal explanation is provided in available data. The Wild and Scenic designation constrains new diversion infrastructure within the designated corridor; current supply must move through existing decreed rights structures.

Cache la Poudre River above Boxelder Creek near Timnath (USGS 06752280): 14 cfs, rising. Consistent with the Fort Collins reading immediately upstream, the Timnath gauge at the Larimer-Weld County line confirms the rising signal is carried through the lower Poudre reach. Canal companies drawing from this section — including those sharing delivery obligations with Weld County users — should note the modest uptick while recognizing that late-season native flow typically remains constrained through October.

Seasonal Guidance

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Data Sources: SNOTEL data through October 11, 2026; USGS streamflow data through October 12, 2026

Data Current As Of: October 12, 2026

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 (municipal Poudre diversions), and Colorado Division of Water Resources Water Division 1 (Greeley office) for regulatory decisions and water rights administration.