PROJ00081

• Contract/PO #: C153691
• Contractor Name: Lloyd Ranch Limited Partnership
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 72
• County: Mesa
• Bill Number: HB 91-1006
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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The Rapid Creek reservoirs are built across the upper
headwaters of Rapid Creek, a small tributary of the Colorado
River. The two reservoirs are situated near the far west end
of the Grand Mesa and, as SUCh, are at a relatively high
elevation; the dam crest on Rapid Creek #1 is at 9,946 feet
and the dam crest on Rapid Creek #2 is at 9,963 feet above
sea level. The dam on Rapid Creek ~1 is about 1/4 mile east
of the west escarpment of Grqnd Mesa. The dam on Rapid Creek
~2 is about 1/2 mile to the south of dam ~l.

Figure I-I is an overal~ location map for the two
reservoirs; Figure I-2 indicqtes the immediate drainage area
and reservoir layout on the USGS topo map.

B. DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING RESERVOIRS

Rapid Creek Reservoir ~~ was initially constructed
sometime in the 1930's by th~ original owners of the Lloyd
Ranch and was apparently enlqrged sometime in the 1940's.
Rapid Creek Reservoir #2 was constructed in the late 1940's.
All of the land on which the dams and reservoirs are situated
is privately owned. Access to both reservoirs is off of the
Lands End Road via a rough, narrow unimproved road. The side
road to the reservoirs is apDroximately 6 miles long and is
very rough in spots, although it is feasible to use two-wheel
drive vehicles with high cleqrance.

The dam on Rapid Creek ~l consists of an earthen rock
embankment, approximately 720 feet long with a crest width
varying from 15 to 16 feet. The dam is 19 feet high from the
invert of the outlet pipe to the crest of the dam. The lower
part of the downstream emban~ment is constructed of large,
flat rocks, which create a r~taining wall structure. The
axis of the dam embankment i~ in a north-south direction, and
the spillway is located on the north abutment. The spillway
is excavated in natural ground, with its base on bedrock.
The spillway is about 18 feet wide and its invert is
approximately 5 ft. below th~ crest of the embankment. An
earthen channel leads from the outlet of the spillway to the
creek bed. The outlet pipe initially consisted of an upper
section of 24 inch metal pip~, which connected to two
parallel 8 inch pipes at a location within the dam. One of
the pipes ends before the do~nstream slope, inside the dam
embankment. A slide gate is attached to the upstream pipe;
however, the operating mechanism is broken. A second outlet
pipe has been placed in natutal ground on the north side of
the reservoir and a ditch ha~ been excavated in natural
ground from that outlet pipe to the north escarpment of Grand
Mesa. This is known as the Tate Creek outlet.

The main embankment of Rapid Creek #2 is constructed of
earthen materials, is 970 feet long, has a crest width
varying from 17 to 21 feet, and is 16 to 17 feet high at its
highest points. The axis of the dam is in an east-west