WSP04618

• File Number: 8220.112.A
• Description: Dallas Creek Participating Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Gunnison
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 1/22/1970
• Author: USDOI-BOR
• Title: Effect of Ridgway Reservoir and Dallas Creek Project on Ouray County and Surrounding Area
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Project Overview

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Effect of Ridgway Reservoir and Dallas Creek Project
on Ouray County and surrounding area

Plans for ~idgway Reservoir which would be formed by the construction
of a dam across the Uncompahgre River and a dike across Dallas Creek
immediately above their confluence, were developed jointly by the Bureau
of Reclamation, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and
Public Health Service at the request of, and in consultation with, the
Tri County Water Conservancy District. Through the joint effort of
these agencies a multi-purpose plan was developed that would do the
most good for the greatest number of people.

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The lake formed by the Ridgway dams would provide recreation of
national significance, improve fish and wildlife habitat, correct existing
stream pollution conditions, control the existing damaging downstream
floods, provide 15,000 acre-feet of new municipal and domestic water
badly needed in Montrose, Olathe, and the Uncompahgre Valley below
Ridgway, and provide an increased supply of irrigation water for about
23,000 acres of: land - mostly in Ouray County.

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Ridgway Reservoir when full will have a surface area of about 2,913
acres and would be about 150 feet deep. The average drawdown during the
recreation season would be about 25 feet, leaving a lake 125 deep with
about 2,470 surface acres at the end of the season. Under unusual
maximum drawdown condition, the reservoir would never be drawn down
below its permanent inactive recreation pool which would have a depth
of about 100 feet and a surface area of 1,370 acres.

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The National Park Service estimates the:project reservoirs would
attract an average of 250,000 man days use annually and they propos~
an expenditure of over $1,000,000 for the de~elopment of public recteation
facilities around the reservoirs. They estimate the visitors expen~itures
would result in,an additional $1,300,000 in new business activity, *nd
$1,000,000 in new personal income. The public recreation facilitie~
to be developed: on the lakeshore by the National Park Service will include
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boating, pickni~king, camping and accessory facilities. The majority of
the lakeshore ~ll remain for private development and homesites.

During the past, the Uncompahgre River in the area of the project
has been rather badly polluted from upstream sources such as drainage
from mine tailing, untreated sewage, etc. The dillution of these flows
in the reservoir with the. larger quantities of unpolluted flows from
Dallas Creek and Cow Creek will raise the resultant water quality in
the reservoir and the river below the dam to acceptable use standarqs
for people and fish.

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