Elk River Sets New Record For Water Flow

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - The record snowpack in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado has also been creating record river flows as the snow begins to melt in the rising June temperatures.

U.S. Geological Survey official Michael Lewis said Wednesday that the Elk River near Steamboat Springs surpassed an all-time record with a preliminary flow rate of 8,250 cubic feet per second on Tuesday. At that rate, Lewis said the river could fill an Olympic-sized pool in about 11 seconds.

Lewis said water levels like that are only seen every 400 or 500 years.

The previous record was set exactly one year before when the river peaked at 6,970 cubic feet per second.

Lewis said if the state sees a rapid warm up and hits abnormally high temperatures, the Elk might peak again because there is still more snow in the mountains.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Watch CBS4's report by Stan Bush on Monday from Steamboat, where flooding is causing issues: