Releases from Davis and Parker dams will vary from about 4,500 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 20,000 cfs during a 24-hour period. River levels will vary during the 24-hour periods with the higher levels coinciding with periods of peak hydroelectric power generation. Levels below the dams are usually highest during the afternoon and early evening. Average daily releases may vary in response to changing conditions.

Average daily releases and midnight lake elevations for the week, as well as anticipated averages for the following 2 weeks, are scheduled as follows:

            Parker             Davis              Hoover         
            Dam       Lake     Dam       Lake     Dam       Lake 
            Average   Havasu   Average   Mohave   Average   Mead 
            Release   Elev.    Release   Elev.    Release   Elev.
Date        (cfs)     (ft)     (cfs)     (ft)     (cfs)     (ft) 
----        -----     ----     -----     ----     -----     ---- 
Mar 19      12900    447.0     15400    641.7     17400    1131.2
Mar 20      12800    446.9     15400    641.8     17400    1131.0
Mar 21      12000    447.0     15400    641.9     17400    1130.9
Mar 22      10000    447.3     15400    642.0     17400    1130.8
Mar 23      11500    447.4     15400    642.1     17400    1130.6
Mar 24      11500    447.4     15400    642.0     13900    1130.6
Mar 25      11500    447.4     15400    641.8     13900    1130.5

Average     11700              15400              16400

Mar 26 to
Apr  1      12200    447.0     16300    641.8     16800    1129.6

Apr  2 to
Apr  8      13100    447.1     18000    642.1     19000    1128.5

Current Lake Powell storage is 15,411 thousand acre-feet (KAF) (63 percent of capacity). Lake Mead storage is 14,754 KAF (56 percent of capacity). Total system storage is 37,705 KAF (63 percent of capacity). Lake Powell elevation is 3,634.92 feet.

The April-July forecast for the Colorado River is 5.3 million acre-feet or 74 percent of average.

On March 9, 2012, the average Colorado River flows were approximately 800 cfs near the Yuma Fourth Avenue Bridge and 2,793 cfs at the Northerly International Boundary. The average release from Painted Rock Dam was 0 cfs and Alamo Dam was 39 cfs. The Morelos Dam diversions for the week of 19-Mar-2012 are expected to be 2,924 cfs.

ALL RIVER USERS should remember that fluctuating river flows may conceal or create natural hazards such as moving sandbars, gravel bars, unstable riverbanks, floating or submerged debris, or other unfamiliar obstacles. Caution should be exercised while using the river between Davis Dam and the Mexican Border at San Luis, Arizona.