Torrington, Wyo. (RELEASE from Bureau of Reclamation) August 18, 2021 — The Bureau of Reclamation will be lowering the water level in Guernsey Reservoir as the 2021 irrigation season draws to a close. 

 
Guernsey Reservoir is lowered at the end of each irrigation season as irrigation deliveries are discontinued. This year the lowering will begin in late August and the reservoir will be completely empty by mid-September. The timing of the drawdown coincides with early shutoff of irrigation by downstream irrigation districts in order to conserve water.   
 
Guernsey Reservoir levels will be maintained at the normal summer level through Sunday, August 22. Beginning Monday, August 23, Guernsey Reservoir will be gradually lowered to an approximate elevation of 4,400 ft. by late Friday, August 27. At this elevation the boat ramps will be at the bottom of their functional range. This elevation will be held relatively steady for Saturday and Sunday, August 28-29. The reservoir draw down will resume Monday, August 30, after which time the boat ramps will not be useable.   
 
The low reservoir level will be maintained through this fall and winter to accommodate work that will be done on the Guernsey Powerplant intake gate. Guernsey Reservoir will remain empty, and any inflows will be bypassed downstream until the work on the intake gate is completed in March 2022, after which the reservoir will begin to refill.
 
In order to make the elevation changes at Guernsey Reservoir, outflows from Glendo Reservoir will be decreased from late August and then will completely shut off by midSeptember. The Glendo Reservoir elevation over the Labor Day weekend is expected to be near 4,584 feet. The Marina, Reno Cove, and Whiskey Gulch boat ramps will be useable. As normal, Glendo Reservoir levels will then gradually increase over the winter while capturing natural inflows and releases from Gray Reef Reservoir.
 
Boaters, recreationists, and irrigators should take proper precautions regarding changing river flows below Glendo and Guernsey Reservoirs and the changing elevations of Guernsey and Glendo Reservoirs.
 
For more information about Guernsey facilities please visit our website: https://www.usbr.gov/gp/recreation/guerrec.html