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Colorado-Big Thompson Project Colorado: Boulder, Grand, Larimer, Logan, Morgan, Sedgwick. Summit, 'Washington, and 'Veld Counties Lower )1issouri Region ,~reau of Reclamation (-:) ,- ,.. .;:0. to The Colorado-Big Thompson Project is DOl" of the largest and most complt"x nalural re>>atlTee developments under- taken by the Bureau of Heclamation. It con~isls of over 100 struchues integrated into a transmounlain water divt'rsion system through which multiple bendil8 are pro- vided to the people. The project spreads over approximately 250 miles in the Slate of Colorado. It stort's. regulates. and diverts water from the Colorado Hiver on the Wf'stern slope of the Con- tinental Divide to the eastern slopt' of the Hock\' Moun- tains. It provides supplemental water for irrigation of about 720.000 aert's 01 land, municipal and industrial UBt'. h~'drot'lt'Ctric powt'r, and water-orientoo rt'Creation opportunities. )tajor features 01 the projt'Ct include dams, dikes. rt'ser- voirs, powerplants, pumping plants. pipt"lines. tunnl:'ls. transmission lines. substations. and other a.....-.ociatoo structures. PLAN" The p.rojpct di\'erts app.roximately 260.000 acre-leet of water annuall~' l31O.000 acre. feet maximuml from the Colorado River headwaters on the western I!I0pe to the Big Thompson River. a South Platte Ri..'er tributary on the easlern slope. lor distribution to projf'C1 lands and communities. The Northern Colorado Watt'r Con!;('r. vanc~' District apportions the water used lor irrigation to more than 120 ditches and 60 reservous. Eleven com- muniti€'s rt'Cl:'in" municipal and industrial water lrom the p.roject. E]ectric power producffi by SoU pow€'rplants is markNed b~' the WE'stt'rn Division 01 the Pick.Sloan ,Missouri Basin ProlZTam. The western s]opl'" collection system traps runofllrom thE' high mountains and storE's. regulates. and com'ey!! the watt>r to the .-\I"'a B. Adams Tunnel for diwrsion under the Continental Divide. To assu.re irrigation and power !!t>nt>ration under prior rights on the Colorado Riv('r. Grf'('n :\.lountain Reservoir was constructed on the Blue Riwr. Spring runoff is R.,~ion R.,.i.ion 12 II:! ,From f'ruifft I)ala B""l.l o storffl in this rf'S('n'oir and lat('r released to meet the reo quirements 01 the Colorado River. and to allow diversion of waler by the project throughout the year. Irrigation systems on the Colorado Riwr, above the Blue River confluence. were improvffl to enable continued use 01 existing rights. Rdeases are made lrom Lake Granby to maintain the Colorado River as a Ii\"{. lishing stream. Thl:' principal storage feature!! are Lakt> Granby and Granby Dam. located on the Colorado River near Gran. by. Willow Creek. a tributal)' btolow Lakt> Gunby. is di....erted by Willow Creek Dam and Canal. \l'iIIow Creek Pumping Plant lilts the water 1 is 11'{"t: it then flows by gravity to Lake Granby. Granby Pumping Plant lilts the water 125 If'et from Lakt' Granby to Granby Pump Canal. The canal conveys th(' water 1.8 milt's to Shadow l\lountain Lake. which al>lO intercepts :\'orth Fork flow!!' of thl;' Colorado Rivt'r. Shadow ,'fountain Lake connt'Cts with Grand Lake to make a single bod}' of water lrom which diversions flow to the A]va B. Adam!!' Tunnt'l to ht-gin the journey to thl;' eo!!tern slope. Emt'rging from Ah'a B. Adams Tunnel into the East Portal Re"f'rvoir. the watt'r flows acros!!' A~pt"D Creek Valley in a siphon and th('n under Rams Horn i\lol1ntain through a tunnt'!. At thi!! point. it enter!!' a .steel penstock and falls 205 leet to ;\lar}'s Lakt' Powerplant. This powerplant is located on the .....('I\t !'hore of Mar}'s Lake. .....hich provide!! afterbay and 10rf"bay capacit~, lor rt'. regulating the flow. Bet.....t"t'n Mar}'!' Lake and Estt's Powerplant, on the shore 01 Lake Est("s. the water is con. ve~'("(l by Prospe<'1 :\Iountain Conduit and Pro!lpt"('t .'\Iountain 1'unn("1, Lake Estes. btolow EstE's Powerplant, is 10nnt"d by Ol~m' pu!' Dam constructt"d acr05S the Big Thompson River. Th(" afterbay 5torage in Lake Estes and the forebay storage in Mar}'s Lak(" enable the [lOl("s Powerplant to mt"("t daily \'ariations in ener~' demand. \"t'al("f from Lake [sit>.. and some Big Thompson Rivt'r floodwaters art> conve~'ffi by Olympus Siphon and Tunn("1