Photo: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Ken Salazar's Bureau of Reclamation gets to start filling the impoundment behind the Ridges Basin Dam soon. Lake Nighthorse will be roughly the same size as Vallecito Reservoir but with less surface area.
The project has been a long time coming with costs spiraling ever upward, design changes and arguments over supply. Water will be pumped to the La Plata River watershed into the reservoir off the mainstem.
The project water largely satisfies Native-American water claims against Colorado also. Most of the water will be used for drinking water projects in the San Juan watershed.
For more info: I follow Colorado water issues at Coyote Gulch.
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