The Rivers Program at San Juan Citizens Alliance is dedicated to improving water quality and ecosystem health of all waters within the Animas River basin. We also work to improve stewardship practices and access opportunities along the Animas and its tributaries to work towards sustainable recreation use along the waterways we love. 

Trout Unlimited is a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving coldwater streams, rivers, and associated upland habitats for trout, salmon, other aquatic species, and people. Five Rivers TU is the local chapter based out of Durango, CO.

Each spring, as snow melts from the jagged peaks of the San Juan Mountains, the Animas River swells with a pulse of water, bringing the highest streamflows of the year. This “peak flow” event is a treasured time for the river system, as well as for spectators who get to watch the river change from an ice-riddled stream to a roaring demon. Peak flow is not only a fun time to paddle the river, but its critical for the health of the river and its fisheries.  High flows support the health of riparian ecosystems adjacent to the river, and creates habitat for fish and aquatic species to thrive. Flooding brings nutrients, vegetation, and wood from the floodplain into the channel spurring invertebrate (bug) growth and creating diverse habitats for fishes.

Since the Animas River is a free-flowing system, the timing and volume of peak flow in the spring vary each year. Join us in this new skill-based contest and use your research skills to predict the volumetric flow rate (commonly measured as cubic feet per second, or cfs) of the peak flow on the Animas River in 2024!

Bring on the spring floods!

This year, we are working to collect proceeds for two local organizations dedicated to advocating for the health of the Animas River and its fisheries. San Juan Citizens Alliance is partnering with 5 Rivers Trout Unlimited in this fundraising effort. Two separate prize categories are being offered for winners: Angling Prizes and Paddling/Land Recreation Prizes. All proceeds from the Angling Prize category will go directly to 5 Rivers Trout Unlimited, and all proceeds from the Paddling/Land Recreation category will go to San Juan Citizens Alliance.

This is a contest based on science and skill.

RULES: The winners of this contest will be the top 5 entrants who predict the closest peak flow rate in cfs to the actual peak flow. Each prediction must be a whole number. If more than one entrant submits the same prediction, the person who submitted their entry at a later date will be contacted to change their prediction. If we are unable to confirm a changed prediction with an entrant who submitted a repeated value, we will bump the repeat entry by 1 cfs up, or down, depending on the nearest available value.

PEAK FLOW DETERMINATION: The correct prediction will be based on measurements from USGS stream gauge (Animas River at Durango, Site ID: 09361500) located near the Powerhouse Museum in Durango. San Juan Citizens Alliance will use measurements from this stream gauge to determine the closest 5 predictions.