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1 2. PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS 2.1 Elkhead 2.1.1 Physical Configuration of Reservoir and Outlet Elkhead Dam and Reservoir is located approximately 10 miles northeast of the City of Craig, Colorado, and straddles the Moffat/Routt County Line as shown on the basin map in Figure 2-1. The dam is located in Section 16, Township 7 North, Range 89 West of the 6th Principal Meridian on Elkhead Creek, a tributary of the Yampa River, and three miles upstream of the confluence. The 205 square mile drainage basin consists of approximately 50 percent rural farming/ranching lands and 50 percent undeveloped public lands. The headwaters are located in a National Forest at elevations exceeding 10,000 feet. Its major tributaries are Dry Fork Elkhead Creek and North Fork Elkhead Creek and there are no transbasin connections. Originally, Elkhead Dam and Reservoir were conceived around 1970 as the primary features of a recreation and wildlife area and the project was scheduled for construction in 1972. At about the same time, the Craig generating station was in the development stage and the need for a backup cooling water supply had been identified. On the basis of these common interests, the originally proposed 5,000 acre-foot reservoir was enlarged to 13,700 acre-feet. The dam and reservoir were subsequently designed and constructed to this larger size in 1974. Ownership of all facilities and land, and operational responsibility was with the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW). Basic physical characteristics of the dam/reservoir as originally constructed are presented in Table 2-1 and shown on Figure 2-2. Interim sedimentation has reduced this 13,700 acre-feet original storage volume to an estimated 13,000 acre-feet. Otherwise the dam/reservoir remains in the condition as originally designed/constructed. 1 Control Structure Feasibility Evaluation 2-1 Miller Ecological Consultants, Inc., February 18, 1997 r