WSP05782 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

A LONG .JOURNEY TO YOUR FAUCET Denver is unusual among major cities in that it is not adjacent to a large, natural supply of water. Nearby rivers have a natural flow sufficient only to supply a much smaller com- munity. And the City's location at the foot of the Rocky Moun, tains is inspiring, but semi-arid with average annual precipitation of only 13.5 inches, Men of vision have long realized that Denver's unusual water problems would require unusual solutions for the city to grow and prosper, Even before World War I, it was proposed that additional supplies be acquired by boring tunnels through moun- tain ranges to bring water from areas of heavy snowfall and plentiful streams on the opposite slope of the Continental Divide, In 1936 the first transmountain water reached Denver via the Fraser River Diversion System and the Moffat Water Tunnel. In the late 1950's that supply was augmented by the Williams Fork Diversion System. And by 1964 water was flowing to Denver from the Blue River and Dillon Reservoir via the Harold D. Roberts Tunnel. .,,' .,. Some Facts about the Water from Your Faucet It comes to you from four separate supply sources: The Blue River Diversion System The Fraser River Diversion System The South Platte River The Williams Fork Diversion System ~ It may have entered a facility of the Denver Water Depart- m"lit as far as 120 miles from your home and traveled under the C~inental Divide through one or more of these tunnels: ('I') August p, Gumlick Tunnel-:),O miles ~ Harold D. Roberts Tunnd-2:U miles o Moffat Tunnel-6,O miles Vasquez Tunncl-:J.4 miles - It may have been stored in one or more of the Water Department's seven major reservoirs: Reservoir Antero Cheesman Dillon Eleven Mile Canyon Gross Marston Lake Ralston Capacity in Acre Feet 18,500 79,100 254,000 97,800 43,100 17,900 11,300 Williams Fork Reservoir -capacity 96,800 acre feet-docs not provide water for Denver. In- stead, it' sl1pplies exchange water to ).eplace that diverted elsewhere into the wuter system from senior l"iohts downstream on the Colo- rado River. WATER SUPPLY S~EM '11 1 u\J ~+ ..~ ~-Qo;~"""'"",,"-, I(j +. -8 .. ~ 0' CONT\NENT"'''' .""........., r" O_ENfER ....".,...,! I S ,...........,.. C --V COLQRA,OO SPRINGS This map of tl1(' watn supply system poillls lip the Vas! are/l ill whi('h thr Water ])eparrmt'lll work.~ 10 provide Venver's water,