Green Mountain Reservoir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Green Mountain Reservoir |
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Aerial view of the reservoir in 2017
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| Location | Summit County, Colorado |
| Coordinates | 39°52′39″N 106°19′50″W / 39.8776°N 106.3305°W |
| Construction began | 1938 |
| Opening date | 1942 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Blue River |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Green Mountain Reservoir |
| Power station | |
| Installed capacity | 25MW |
Green Mountain Reservoir is a large lake in Summit County, Colorado. It sits along the Blue River. This important reservoir and its dam, called Green Mountain Dam, help store water for people in Colorado.
The dam was built a long time ago, between 1938 and 1942. The United States Bureau of Reclamation constructed it.
Why Was Green Mountain Dam Built?
Green Mountain Dam was the first part of a huge project called the Colorado-Big Thompson Project. President Roosevelt started this project in 1937. Its main goal was to move water from the western side of the Rocky Mountains to the drier eastern side.
This dam was special because it helped solve a big problem. Water was being taken from the Colorado River (near Lake Granby) to supply cities in Northern Colorado. People on the western side of the mountains worried they wouldn't have enough water.
Green Mountain Dam was built to "give back" water to the Western Slope. It made sure that both sides of Colorado had enough water. This "compromise" made the whole Colorado-Big Thompson Project possible.
How the Dam Works
Green Mountain Dam holds back a lot of water. When water is needed, it can be released in a few ways. It can flow over a special path called a spillway. Water can also go through tunnels inside the dam itself.
Another important way water is used is to make electricity. At the bottom of the dam is the Green Mountain Power Plant. This plant uses the force of the water to spin big machines called generators.
The power plant has two generators. They can create up to 21,000 kilowatts of electricity. This is enough power for many homes! Together with five other power plants in the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, they produce enough electricity each year to power almost 60,000 homes.
Size and Features
Green Mountain Reservoir is very big. It can hold about 153,000 acre-feet of water. An acre-foot is how much water it takes to cover one acre of land with water one foot deep. That's a lot of water!
When the reservoir is completely full, the water level is about 7,950 feet high. The dam itself stands tall at 309 feet.
Fun Things to Do
Green Mountain Reservoir is a popular spot for fishing. Many people come here to catch different kinds of fish. You can find rainbow trout, lake trout, brown trout, and a type of salmon called kokanee.
If you want to visit, State Highway 9 runs along the east side of the lake. On the western side, you'll find the small town of Heeney. There's also a path called the Green Mountain Reservoir Trail that goes along the western side of the reservoir.
