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Officials Stay Alert As Rivers Keep Rushing

DENVER (CBS4) - Residents who live close to rivers across the state of Colorado are on alert as water is rushing higher and faster every day.

Thursday brought overcast skies and cooler temperatures, but the concerns about quick melting of the snowpack are still right there, and there is some flooding in parts of the state.

In Dotsero, just east of Glenwood Canyon, high water on the Colorado River has closed Highway 6. Crews didn't want to wait for the water level to rise above the bridge so they closed it early as a precaution.

Doterso
Highway 6 over the Colorado River in Dotsero (credit: CBS)

In Windsor the Poudre River Trail is closed due to the river's high levels, and Greeley is also seeing some street flooding.

Near Steamboat Springs the Elk River is also way past its normal banks.

Elk River Flooding
Elmer Balvanz of Steamboat Springs took this photo of the flooding of the lower Elk River on June 9, 2011.

In an interview with CBS4's Stan Bush on Thursday, Kevin Houck with the Colorado Water Conservation Board described where the flooding concerns are the biggest across the state.

"There's just an incredible about of snow still waiting to melt. And if it warms up later there's the potential for some pretty high flows in these streams," Houck said.

Watch the complete interview in the video clip below:

Houck says the concerns for people should mostly be with areas closest the river.

Chad Gemmestad with the National Weather Service said temperatures will play a big role over the next few weeks in determining how bad things get.

"We get into trouble when we have a lot of snow left in the mountains and a lot of high temperatures at the same time," Gemmestad said.

LINK: Colorado Water Conservation Board Flood Preparedness and Response Resources

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