The call for senior water rights on the main stem of the Yampa River was released at 6 p.m. Monday after three days of water curtailment for junior water rights holders.

The main stem of the river went “on call” Friday afternoon – for the fourth time in history – as another indicator of the current dry conditions in Northwest Colorado.

“Senior water rights are not getting enough water to their headgates during this dry year,” according to a Friday email from officials at the Colorado Department of Water Resources office in Steamboat Springs. “Water rights that are junior to May 30, 1972, will need to be curtailed.”

The state office places a call on a stream or river when senior water rights owners do not receive the amount of water for which they have a legal right. During a call, some water users must reduce or stop their use in order to send enough water downstream to fulfill the older water rights.

The main stem of the Yampa River previously went on call during three other dry years including Sept. 4-26 in 2018, Aug. 25-Sept. 3 in 2020 and July 30-Aug. 2 in 2021, according to the state office. This year’s call on the main stem took place at the earliest time in the summer.