Antero Reservoir Explained

Antero Reservoir
Coords:38.9883°N -105.8956°W
Basin Countries:United States
Area:2500acres
Volume:20000acre.ft
Elevation:8942feet
Pushpin Map:Colorado#USA
Pushpin Map Alt:Location of Antero Reservoir in Colorado, USA.

Antero Reservoir is a reservoir in the US state of Colorado. It was created by the first dam placed on the South Platte River in Park County, central Colorado. It is owned by Denver Water and supplies drinking water to the greater Denver metro region almost 140miles away.

History

Built in 1909, the earthen dam sat on a site believed by geologists to be a dry lake bed some 300 years old. This lake, named Green Lake, lies submerged in Antero Reservoir.[1]

Denver Water acquired the reservoir property in 1924, along with the High Line Canal, and it has remained a part of the Denver Water system since 1924.

The Reservoir was closed in 2002 for five years due to drought. The lake went completely dry, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, in concert with Denver Water resurrected it in 2007. The Colorado Division of Wildlife re-stocked the lake with rainbow trout, brook trout, cutbow, cutthroat trout, brown trout, and splake.

In 2011, engineers began lowering the water level by two feet due to excess seepage. The dam has leaked since its construction, requiring it to operate under state restrictions.[2] Beginning in May 2013, Antero reservoir was planned to have been drained because of drought conditions.[3] It was not drained because of substantial snowfall in April 2013.[4] In 2013, a $17 million project to rehabilitate the dam began. The reservoir was then expected to be drained in 2015 for necessary repairs, with re-filling in 2016.[5] In the event, Denver Water began to empty the reservoir in June 2015 for "significant repairs to Antero Dam".[6]

Climate

A weather station is operated at the reservoir site. It is notable for recording very cold temperatures, even by comparison to other sites of a similar elevation, when cold air pooling affects the reservoir site but not the more open areas around it. This is because the reservoir is surrounded by even higher terrain on all sides, leading to sinking air when the wind is calm.According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Antero Reservoir has a cold semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.

Fishing

The shallowness of this reservoir makes it relatively warm for the location and altitude. This makes for exceptionally large, fast growing fish.[7] Antero Reservoir is owned by Denver Water and overseen by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Because it is not a state park, there are no fees for entry. Fishing is year-round, with ice fishing in the winter. A valid fishing license is required.

Stats

Elevation: 8942feet, Capacity: 20000acre.ft, Surface area: .[8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Antero Reservoir. denverwater.org. 2009-11-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20130114024606/http://www.denverwater.org/Recreation/Antero/. 2013-01-14. dead.
  2. News: Pankratz. Howard. Water levels at leaking Antero reservoir to be drawn down. 23 April 2011. Denver Post. 23 April 2011.
  3. Web site: Denver Water. denverwater.org. 2013-03-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20130409000126/http://www.denverwater.org/AboutUs/PressRoom/5C083DCD-02C6-881B-47EC848DD7FC8B77/. 2013-04-09. dead.
  4. Web site: 7NEWS - Antero Reservoir won't be drained after all - Local Story . 2013-04-27 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130428085018/http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/antero-reservoir-wont-be-drained-after-all . 2013-04-28 .
  5. News: Antero Reservoir to be drained for dam rehabilitation work. 9 January 2015. Associated Press. Pikes Peak Television, Inc.. 8 January 2015.
  6. A look back in time: Antero Reservoir . WaterNews . Denver Water . August 2015 . The drained water was either recaptured in a downstream reservoir or sent directly to a water treatment plant. .
  7. Web site: Bob is Back! . 2009-11-19 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100608030015/http://www.bobisback.com/location.html . 2010-06-08 .
  8. Web site: Antero Reservoir - Fairplay, Colorado - Fishing Report & Map by Fish Explorer. fishexplorer.com.