For Release: July 25, 2023
Contact: Anna Perea, (970) 290-1185, aperea@usbr.gov
Bureau of Reclamation to Host Ruedi Reservoir Water Operations Public Meeting
LOVELAND, Colo. - The Bureau of Reclamation has scheduled the annual public meeting to discuss the Ruedi Reservoir Water Operations for the 2023 water year.
The meeting will be held on Wednesday August 9, 2023, from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the following location:
Roaring Fork Conservancy River Center
22800 Two Rivers Road
Basalt, CO 81621
Topics will include:
· Reservoir operations update (Reclamation)
· Colorado River 15-Mile Reach endangered fish update (U.S. Fish and Wildlife)
· Updates on water leases from Colorado Water Trust
· Updates on water leases from the Colorado Water Conservation Board
· East Slope Fryingpan-Arkansas Project overview (Reclamation)
· Public question and answer session
Ruedi Dam and Reservoir are located on the Fryingpan River, a tributary of the Roaring Fork River, within the headwaters of the Colorado River. Reclamation built them as part of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project. The project provides water for beneficial use to Colorado water users from the Kansas to the Utah borders.
One of the reservoir's purposes is to compensate Colorado River Basin water users for the diversion of Colorado River Basin water to the Arkansas River Basin in southeastern Colorado. The reservoir releases stored water for multiple West Slope beneficial uses, including irrigation, domestic and municipal water supply, industrial, and environmental purposes. A portion of the reservoir stored water is reserved for fish and wildlife enhancement.
Ruedi Reservoir holds approximately 102,000 acre-feet of water with a surface area of 1,000 acres when full. The reservoir is typically at the lowest level in April but begins rising during the spring snow melt. It is full or very close to full by mid-July in most years. Water levels decrease rapidly during late-summer and fall when water is released to the Colorado River basin for West Slope beneficial use
For more information, please contact Tim Miller, Hydrologist, Eastern Colorado Area Office, by phone or e-mail: (970) 461-5494, or tmiller@usbr.gov.
Media inquiries or general questions about Reclamation should be directed to Anna Perea, Public Affairs Specialist, at 970-290-1185 or aperea@usbr.gov. If you are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation