The Dolores River

Introduction to the Dolores River

Stretching for 241 miles, the Dolores River flows from its headwaters in the San Juan National Forest through Colorado and into Utah, where it terminates as a tributary of the Colorado River. In 1986, The Dolores River was dammed southwest of Dolores Colorado, creating the McPhee Reservoir. The reservoir covers 4,470 acres when full and has a drainage area of 809 square miles.

The hydrology, geomorphology, and biology of the Dolores River channel downstream from McPhee Reservoir have all been altered due to the changes in stream flow and sediment supply that are associated with the presence of a dam. These changes have the potential to create long term impacts on the shape and functioning of the Dolores River system.

Today, the Dolores River provides water to the cities of Cortez and Dove Creek, and to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe via manmade canals and reservoirs. The largest canal, the Nararaguinnep, brings water to the Montezuma Valley. To learn more about background information on the Dolores River, visit the Dolores River Restoration Partnership's (DRRP) StoryMap,  Dolores River Restoration Partnership , created by Rica Fulton.

The DRAMS Project

The Dolores River Adaptive Management Support (DRAMS) Team was formed in 2020 to support the management decisions and flow recommendations of The Dolores River Native Fish Monitoring and Recommendations Team (M&R Team).

The M&R Team was formed in 2014 to focus on the habitat for the three sensitive warm-water native species: the flannelmouth sucker, the roundtail chub, and the bluehead sucker.

DRAMS Goals

1. Create baseline and annual geomorphic and vegetation monitoring program on the Dolores River below McPhee Dam. This will document historic channel changes, continued channel response to dam-controlled hydrology and sediment regime, channel response to future restoration efforts by monitoring before and after, changes in physical habitat for native fish, and impact of riparian vegetation on channel morphology.  
2. Create a responsive monitoring program that can be implemented quickly in response to hydrologic conditions  such as high flow due to high snowpack and forecast runoff.