WSP09928

• File Number: 8220.143.A
• Description: Smith Fork ‎(Crawford)‎ Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Gunnison
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 10/1/1982
• Title: Smith Fork Project
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Project Overview

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Smith Fork Project

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Colorado: Delta and Montrose Counties

Upper Colorado Region
Bureau of Reclamation

Surplus flows of Smith Fork, Iron, Mud, and Alkali
Creeks are regulated and utilized by Smith Fork Project
in west-centrul Colorado. The project, 73 miles southeast
of Grand .J unction, supplements the irrigation water 8Up~
ply for 8.056 acres and provides a full water supply for
1,423 acres of land previously not irrigated. Construction
features of the project include Crawford Dam and Reser-
voir, Smith Fork Diversion Dam, Smith Fork Feeder
Canal, Aspen Canal, Clipper Canal, and recreation
facilities.

PLAN

Crawford Dam is on Iron Creek, a tributary of the Smith
Fork abont I mile sonth of Crawford, Colo. The Craw-
ford Heservoir regulates flows of Iron Creek and its
tributaries as well as the surplus flows of the Smith Fork
of the Gunnison River, diverted to the reservoir by the
feeder canal. Small quantities of reservoir storage water
are released to Iron Creek and diverted by several small
private ditches. The remainder is released to Aspen
Canal for conveyance to private ditches for distribution.
Some of the storage releases through Aspen Canal replace

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Crawford Dam

Hcgioll Hc"isioll 10/82
(From Projcet Data Book)

former direct flow diversions from Smith Fork, permit-
ting additional direct flow diversions for project land
higher on the stream.

Crawford Dam and Reservoir

Crawford Dam is a zoned earthfiIl structure 162 feet high
and 580 feet long, with a volume of 1,006,000 enbic
yards. The nucontrolled overflow spillway is iu tbe left
abntment of tbe dam aud bas a design capacity of 1,400
cubic feet per second. The outlet works in the right
abutment of the dam carries water through a 34-inch-
diameter steel pipe controlled by four 2.25-foot-square
high-pressure gates. Maximum discharge capacity to
Aspen Canal is 125 cubic feet per second. Crawford
Reservoir has a total capacity of 14,395 acre-feet and an
active capacity of 14,064 acre-feet. The reservoir has a
surface area of 406.2 acres.

Smith Fork Diversion Dam

Smith Fork Diversion Dam, at the head of Smith Fork
F ceder Canal, consists of a concrete ogec weir and em-
bankment wings. The dam is about 3 miles northeast
of Crawford, stands 10 feet above streambed, has a total
crest length of 790 feet, and a weir crest length of 34.6
feet. Diversion capacity of the structure is 80 cubic feet
per second.

Smith Fork Feeder Canal

In the vicinity of Crawford, the earth-lined Smith Fork
Feeder Canal originates at Smith Fork Diversion Dam
and runs southwesterly to Crawford Reservoir. The
2.4-mile-Iong canal has an initial capacity of 80 cubic feet
per second.

Aspen Canal

Aspen Canal beads at Crawford Dam and runs 5.8 miles
in a northerly direction. The canal has an initial capacity
of 125 cnbic feet per second.

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