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| Reservoirs in Colorado | |
|---|---|
| Name | Reservoirs in Colorado |
| Caption | Horsetooth Reservoir and Fort Collins skyline |
| Location | Colorado |
| Type | Reservoirs |
| Inflow | Colorado River, South Platte River, Arkansas River, Gunnison River, Rio Grande |
| Outflow | Various tributaries of the Colorado River basin |
| Basin countries | United States |
Reservoirs in Colorado
Colorado hosts hundreds of reservoirs across basins such as the Colorado River basin, South Platte River basin, Arkansas River basin, Gunnison River basin, and Rio Grande basin. These impoundments, including large projects like Blue Mesa Reservoir, Eleven Mile Reservoir, and Horsetooth Reservoir, serve multipurpose roles for U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Colorado River Water Conservation District, and local water districts like the Northern Water and Denver Water. Reservoirs intersect with federal lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management.
Reservoirs in Colorado range from high-elevation alpine storages near Rocky Mountain National Park to large valley impoundments in the Grand Mesa and Gunnison County. Major watersheds include the Colorado River, South Platte River, Arkansas River, Yampa River, and San Juan River. Key managing entities comprise the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, state agencies like the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and regional water providers such as Southern Delivery System. Prominent reservoirs include Blue Mesa Reservoir, Lake Pueblo, Chatfield Reservoir, Marston Reservoir, and Shadow Mountain Lake.
Development accelerated with nineteenth- and early twentieth-century projects like Moffat Tunnel era diversions and Colorado-Big Thompson Project construction overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and influenced by policies such as the Reclamation Act of 1902. Works like Gunnison Tunnel and the Taylor Park Reservoir were prompted by settlement patterns tied to Pueblo, Denver, and Fort Collins agricultural expansion. Mid-century flood control efforts by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers produced impoundments like Chatfield Reservoir after events including the Great Flood of 1965. Contemporary projects often result from interstate compacts such as the Colorado River Compact and litigation involving entities like the U.S. Supreme Court and interstate agencies including the Western States Water Council.
Colorado reservoir types include storage reservoirs (e.g., Blue Mesa Reservoir), diversion reservoirs (e.g., Windy Gap Reservoir), flood-control impoundments (e.g., Barr Lake), and offstream storage associated with transmountain diversions like Green Mountain Reservoir and Granby Reservoir. Notable reservoirs: Horsetooth Reservoir near Fort Collins, Eleven Mile Reservoir on the South Platte River, Lake Pueblo on the Arkansas River, Shadow Mountain Lake adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park, Dominguez Reservoir in the Uncompahgre region, and Gross Reservoir near Boulder. Projects tied to hydropower include Aspen Reservoir developments and facilities managed by utilities such as Xcel Energy and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association.
Reservoir governance involves federal agencies like the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, state institutions including the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the Colorado Division of Water Resources, and local groups such as the Northern Water Conservancy District and Denver Water. Legal frameworks include the Colorado River Compact, the Rio Grande Compact, and state statutes adjudicated in courts such as the Colorado Supreme Court. Interactions with tribal nations such as the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe concern rights allocated under treaties and settlements including the Ute Indian Rights Settlement. Water districts, irrigation companies like the Fort Lyon Canal Company, and environmental NGOs including The Nature Conservancy and Sierra Club participate in planning, operations, and litigation.
Reservoir construction and operations affect riparian ecosystems in areas like Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area and Yampa River corridors, impacting species such as the Colorado pikeminnow, Humpback chub, and Greenback cutthroat trout. Issues include altered flow regimes governed by compacts like the Colorado River Compact, sedimentation in basins like Blue Mesa, water temperature changes affecting fisheries in locations managed by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and invasive species challenges from zebra mussel spread monitored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Conservation measures involve environmental impact assessments under the National Environmental Policy Act and recovery programs coordinated with agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NGOs like Audubon Society chapters in Colorado.
Recreational opportunities at Colorado reservoirs include boating at Horsetooth Reservoir, fishing at Eleven Mile Reservoir, camping at Blue Mesa Reservoir, and skiing or snowpack-influenced activities near reservoirs affecting access to Aspen and Vail. Management for recreation is provided by entities including Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the National Park Service at adjacent parks, and municipalities like Colorado Springs and Fort Collins. Events and amenities connect with organizations such as the American Whitewater and outdoor retailers in Boulder and Durango. Public safety and invasive-species prevention programs are often coordinated with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Colorado State Patrol.
Reservoir operations support municipal providers like Denver Water, agricultural districts in the South Platte Valley and Arkansas River Valley, and industrial users in Pueblo and Grand Junction. Transbasin diversion systems including the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, Moffat Collection System, and Fryingpan-Arkansas Project move water between basins under compacts such as the Colorado River Compact and the Animas-La Plata Project agreements. Hydropower generation, coordinated with utilities such as Xcel Energy and regional cooperatives, complements storage objectives. Drought contingency planning, modeled with inputs from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Colorado Climate Center, guides reservoir release schedules and shortages managed through interstate cooperation with agencies like the Upper Colorado River Commission.