List of largest reservoirs in Colorado explained

This is a list of the largest reservoirs in the state of Colorado. All thirty-nine reservoirs that contain greater than 40000acre.ft are included in the list. Most of the larger reservoirs in the state are owned by the United States Bureau of Reclamation and, to a lesser extent, the Corps of Engineers. Additionally, a number of these reservoirs are owned by private companies for flood control and irrigation purposes. The largest reservoir entirely contained in Colorado is Blue Mesa Reservoir, with a capacity of 829500sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2. The total storage of the reservoirs on this list is 3804458sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2, although not all is allocated for use by Colorado.

Reservoirs

Key
denotes reservoir not entirely in Colorado
denotes that reservoir is offstream and fed by canals

List

RankNameCounty(s)CoordinatesVolume (acre-feet)Volume (km3)ElevationInflowDam(s)Image
1Navajo ReservoirArchuleta, Rio Arriba, San Juan36.82°N -107.6033°W[1] 1,708,600[2] 2.10756,089San JuanNavajo Dam
2Blue Mesa ReservoirGunnison38.4753°N -107.2878°W[3] 829,500[4] 1.20327,519Gunnison RiverBlue Mesa Dam
3John Martin ReservoirBent38.0664°N -102.9544°W[5] 603,500[6] 0.74443,870Arkansas RiverJohn Martin Dam
4Lake GranbyGrand40.1422°N -105.8483°W[7] 539,758[8] 0.66588,280Colorado RiverGranby Dam
5McPhee ReservoirMontezuma37.5739°N -108.5581°W[9] 381,100[10] 0.47016,929Dolores RiverMcPhee Dam
6Pueblo ReservoirPueblo38.2664°N -104.7381°W[11] 349,940[12] 0.43174,899Arkansas RiverPueblo Dam
7Dillon ReservoirSummit39.6178°N -106.0556°W[13] 257,304[14] 0.31749,022Blue RiverDillon Dam
8Bonny Reservoir (Drained, 2011)Yuma39.6211°N -102.1814°W[15] 165,238[16] 0.20383,710South Fork Republican RiverBonny Dam
9Horsetooth ReservoirLarimer40.5292°N -105.1475°W[17] 156,735[18] 0.19335,430Colorado River via Colorado-Big Thompson ProjectDixon Canyon, Spring Canyon, Soldier Canyon, Horsetooth[19]
10Green Mountain ReservoirSummit39.8789°N -106.3056°W[20] 153,639[21] 0.18957,950Blue RiverGreen Mountain Dam
11Twin Lakes ReservoirLake39.0808°N -106.3208°W[22] 141,000[23] 0.17399,200Lake CreekTwin Lakes Dam
12Sanchez ReservoirCostilla37.1089°N -105.4139°W[24] 137,850[25] 0.12718,261Ventero CreekSanchez Dam
13Turquoise LakeLake39.2608°N -106.3664°W[26] 129,398[27] 0.19569,869Boustead Tunnel [28] Sugar Loaf Dam
14Vallecito ReservoirLa Plata37.3831°N -107.5631°W[29] 125,4000.15477,671Los Pinos RiverVallecito Dam
15Morrow Point ReservoirGunnison, Montrose38.4461°N -107.5219°W[30] 117,025[31] 0.14437,160Gunnison RiverMorrow Point Dam
16Carter Lake ReservoirLarimer40.3322°N -105.2186°W[32] 112,230[33] 0.13845,759Colorado River via Colorado-Big Thompson ProjectCarter Lake Dam
17Taylor Park ReservoirGunnison38.8267°N -106.5939°W[34] 106,210[35] 0.13109,337Taylor RiverTaylor Park Dam
18Ruedi ReservoirPitkin, Eagle39.3647°N -106.815°W[36] 102,373[37] 0.12637,766Fryingpan RiverRuedi Dam
19Nee Gronda ReservoirKiowa38.3036°N -102.7567°W[38] 98,660[39] 0.12173,878Arkansas River via inlet canalnatural depression
20Elevenmile Canyon ReservoirPark38.9139°N -105.4972°W[40] 97,7800.12098,566South Platte RiverElevenmile Canyon Dam
21Williams Fork ReservoirGrand40.0258°N -106.2139°W[41] 96,822[42] 0.11947,808Williams ForkWilliams Fork Dam
22Cherry Creek ReservoirArapahoe39.6431°N -104.8575°W[43] 95,9600.11845,551Cherry CreekCherry Creek Dam
23Nee Noshe ReservoirKiowa38.3406°N -102.6942°W[44] 94,8500.11703,924Arkansas River via inlet canalNee Noshe Dam
24Ridgway ReservoirOuray38.23°N -107.7536°W[45] 84,230[46] 0.10246,699Uncompahgre RiverRidgway Dam
25Cheesman LakeDouglas, Jefferson39.2086°N -105.2767°W[47] 79,060[48] 0.09756,847South Platte RiverCheesman Dam
26North Sterling ReservoirLogan40.7767°N -103.2806°W[49] 74,590[50] 0.09204,071South Platte River via inlet canalNorth Sterling Dam
27Adobe Creek ReservoirBent, Kiowa38.2722°N -103.2461°W[51] 70,0000.08634,131Adobe Creek via inlet canal
28Wolford Mountain ReservoirGrand40.1292°N -106.4114°W[52] 65,9850.08147,405Muddy Creek (Colorado)Wolford Mountain Dam
29Riverside ReservoirWeld40.3375°N -104.2592°W[53] 65,008[54] 0.08024,511South Platte River via inlet canal
30Platoro ReservoirConejos37.3422°N -106.5564°W[55] 59,570[56] 0.07359,977Conejos RiverPlatoro Dam
31Spinney Mountain ReservoirPark38.9758°N -105.6319°W[57] 53,8730.06658,691South Platte River
32Rio Grande ReservoirHinsdale37.7194°N -107.2806°W51,1100.06309,400Rio GrandeRio Grande Dam
33Boyd LakeLarimer40.4275°N -105.0319°W[58] 49,0480.06054,961Big Thompson River via inlet canalBoyd Lake Dam
34Two Buttes ReservoirBaca, Prowers37.6353°N -102.5508°W[59] 48,7200.06014,232Two Buttes CreekTwo Buttes Dam
35Santa Maria ReservoirMineral37.8017°N -107.0931°W[60] 43,500[61] 0.05379,488North Clear Creek via inlet canalnone
36Homestake ReservoirPitkin, Eagle39.3619°N -106.4664°W[62] 42,822[63] 0.052810,266Middle Fork Homestake CreekHomestake Project Dam
37Gross ReservoirBoulder39.95°N -105.3606°W[64] 41,9200.05177,290South Boulder CreekGross Dam
38Rampart ReservoirEl Paso38.9808°N -104.97°W[65] 41,000[66] 0.05108,006West Monument CreekRampart Dam
39Lemon ReservoirLa Plata37.3953°N -107.6619°W[67] 39,792[68] 0.04918,130Florida RiverLemon Dam

See also

External links

38.9972°N -105.5478°W

Notes and References

  1. 938725. Navajo Reservoir. 1980-11-13. 2014-12-23.
  2. Web site: Navajo Dam. United States Bureau of Reclamation. 2010-04-13. 2014-12-23.
  3. 186973. Blue Mesa Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-24.
  4. Web site: Water Operations: Blue Mesa Reservoir. United States Bureau of Reclamation. 2014-12-31.
  5. 203834. John Martin Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-24.
  6. Web site: Arkansas River Basin. United States Geological Survey - Water Resources of Colorado. 2004-04-28. 2015-01-05.
  7. 202532. Lake Granby. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-24.
  8. Web site: Lake Granby Allocations. United States Bureau of Reclamation. 2012-10-04. 2014-12-31.
  9. 196483. McPhee Reservoir. 1990-02-01. 2014-12-24.
  10. Web site: San Juan River Basin. United States Bureau of Reclamation. 2014-12-30. 2014-12-31.
  11. 169353. Pueblo Reservoir. 1992-11-01. 2014-12-24.
  12. Web site: Pueblo Reservoir Allocations. United States Bureau of Reclamation. 2009-04-17. 2014-12-31.
  13. 202344. Dillon Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-24.
  14. Web site: Dillon Reservoir. Denver Water. 2014. 2014-12-31.
  15. 203752. Bonny Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-24.
  16. Web site: Bonny Reservoir Allocations. United States Bureau of Reclamation. 2012-02-01. 2014-12-31.
  17. 177416. Horsetooth Reservoir. 1978. 2014-12-24.
  18. Web site: Horsetooth Reservoir Allocations. United States Bureau of Reclamation. 2012-10-04. 2014-12-31.
  19. Web site: Dixon Canyon Dam. United States Bureau of Reclamation. 2013-03-29. 2014-12-31.
  20. 196488. Green Mountain Reservoir. 1990-04-01. 2014-12-24.
  21. Web site: Green Mtn. Allocations. United States Bureau of Reclamation. 2012-10-04. 2014-12-31.
  22. 202699. Twin Lakes Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-28.
  23. Web site: Twin Lakes Allocations. United States Bureau of Reclamation. 2012-10-04. 2014-12-31.
  24. 193119. Sanchez Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-28.
  25. Web site: National Water-Quality Assessment Program -- The Rio Grande Valley. United States Geological Survey. 1991. 2015-01-02.
  26. 202682. Turquoise Lake. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-28.
  27. Web site: Turquoise Lake Allocations. United States Bureau of Reclamation. 2012-10-04. 2014-12-31.
  28. Web site: Fryingpan-Arkansas Project. United States Bureau of Reclamation. 2013-04-04. 2015-01-03. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120823073823/http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Project.jsp?proj_Name=Fryingpan-Arkansas%20Project. 2012-08-23.
  29. 202972. Vallecito Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-28.
  30. 188199. Morrow Point Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-28.
  31. Web site: Water Operations: Morrow Point Reservoir. United States Bureau of Reclamation. 2014-12-31.
  32. 178047. Carter Lake Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-28.
  33. Web site: Carter Lake Allocations. United States Bureau of Reclamation. 2012-10-04. 2014-12-31.
  34. 188911. Taylor Park Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-28.
  35. Web site: Gunnison River Basin. United States Bureau of Reclamation. 2014-12-31. 2015-01-02.
  36. 202675. Ruedi Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-28.
  37. Web site: Ruedi Reservoir Allocations. United States Bureau of Reclamation. 2012-10-04. 2015-01-02.
  38. 169451. Neegronda Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-28.
  39. Web site: Reservoirs in the United States. United States Geological Survey. 1966. 2015-01-02.
  40. 203527. Elevenmile Canyon Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-28.
  41. 173267. Williams Fork Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-30.
  42. Web site: Williams Fork Reservoir. Denver Water. 2015. 2015-01-02.
  43. 5551. Cherry Creek Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-30.
  44. 201281. Nee Noshe Reservoir. 1994-09-01. 2014-12-30.
  45. 196478. Ridgway Reservoir. 1989-12-01. 2014-12-31.
  46. Web site: Dallas Creek Project. United States Bureau of Reclamation. 1999. 2015-01-02.
  47. 183689. Cheesman Lake. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-31.
  48. Web site: Cheesman Reservoir. Denver Water. 2015. 2015-01-02.
  49. 171137. North Sterling Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-28.
  50. Web site: Significant and High Hazard Dam Authorizations. Bureau of Land Management. 2000-07-24. 2015-01-02.
  51. 195347. Adobe Creek Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-31.
  52. 2648439. Wolford Mountain Reservoir. 2010-09-14. 2015-01-02.
  53. 202748. Riverside Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-31.
  54. Web site: The South Platte River and Alluvial Aquifer: Major Reservoirs and Restricted Dams. Colorado Water Initiative. 2015-01-02.
  55. 190729. Platoro Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-31.
  56. Web site: Platoro Dam. United States Bureau of Reclamation. 2009-03-26. 2015-01-02.
  57. 197566. Spinney Mountain Reservoir. 1992-07-01. 2015-01-02.
  58. 177738. Boyd Lake. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-31.
  59. 203859. Two Buttes Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-31.
  60. 187015. Santa Maria Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-13.
  61. Web site: Canal Systems Rehabilitation. Colorado Water Conservation Board. 2013-03-08. 2015-01-02.
  62. 179797. Homestake Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-31.
  63. Web site: Water Resources of the Upper Arkansas River Basin. Colorado Water Science Center. 2014-07-23. 2015-01-02.
  64. 202790. Gross Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-31.
  65. 196534. Rampart Reservoir. 2000-01-01. 2024-06-28.
  66. Web site: Rampart . . April 12, 2023 . National Inventory of Dams . June 28, 2024 .
  67. 183993. Lemon Reservoir. 1978-10-13. 2014-12-31.
  68. Web site: San Juan River Basin. United States Bureau of Reclamation. 2015-01-01. 2015-01-02.

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