FLOOD02521

• County: Statewide
• Community: State of Colorado
• Stream Name: All
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Reclamation's Role in Colorado Flood Control
• Date: 7/1/1965
• Prepared For: State of Colorado
• Prepared By: BOR
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

IDYLWILDE DAti AND RESERVOIR

(Cache la Poudre Unit)

This potential unit would be located on the Cache la Poudre River

northwest of the city of Ft. Collins.

A reconnaissance report on the unit was completed in February 1963.

It proposed a multiple-purpose development that would serve the functions

of hydroelectric power, municipal and industrial water supply, irriga-
tion water supply, flood control, fish and wildlife enhancement, and
recreation. The principal features would be two storage dams and
reservoirs. two powerplants, one power water forebay. one power water

afterbay, one diversion dam, water conduits, transmission lines, and

substations.

Feasibility investigations were initiated but were limited to one

dam and reservoir only--Idylwilde--with minimum provisions for the

future addition of power. The feasibility studies include analysis of

requirement and supply for municipal and industrial water and for

irrigation as well as for the coordinate functions of fish-wildlife

and recreation. The studies increasingly demonstrated that requirements

for supplemental irrigation water were not as critical as had originally

been indicated. It was also determined that aggressive action by the

cities of Ft. Collins and Greeley posponed needs for additional municipal

water for perhaps 10 years or more. Flood control benefits of the

Idylwilde Dam alone are extremely limited. The feasibility studies

were terminated in FY 1965 and a concluding report will be prepared in

FY 1966.

The Corps of Engineers requested flood control capacity of 50,000

acre-feet of firm storage space in the lower of the original two dam

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