McPhee Reservoir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids McPhee Reservoir |
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McPhee Reservoir and dam, 2013
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 McPhee Reservoir
Location in Colorado
McPhee Reservoir
Location in the United States
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| Location | Montezuma County, Colorado |
| Coordinates | 37°34′39″N 108°34′20″W / 37.57750°N 108.57222°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary outflows | Dolores River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Water volume | 381,051 acre⋅ft (470,019,000 m3) |
| Surface elevation | 6,929 ft (2,112 m) |
| Settlements | McPhee, Colorado, a ghost town beneath the lake |
McPhee Reservoir is a large lake located in Montezuma County, Colorado, in the United States. It was built by the United States Bureau of Reclamation as part of the Dolores Project. The reservoir holds back the Dolores River.
The water from McPhee Reservoir is very important. It provides drinking water and water for farms in Montezuma and Dolores counties. It also supplies water to the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation. The dam that created the lake was finished in 1985.
Discovering McPhee Reservoir
McPhee Reservoir is named after a town called McPhee, Colorado. This town is now completely underwater, beneath the lake! It used to be a "company town" built by the New Mexico Lumber Company.
Back in 1927, the sawmill in McPhee was very busy. It produced more than half of all the lumber made in Colorado! Up to 1,500 people lived and worked in the town. The sawmill closed down in 1946.
Fun at the Lake
You can visit McPhee Reservoir from near Dolores, Colorado. You can get there by taking Highway 145 and Highway 184.
The McPhee Recreation Area is run by the U.S. Forest Service. It offers many fun things to do. You can find places to launch boats, picnic areas, and campgrounds. It's a great spot for outdoor activities!
Making Electricity at the Dam
There is a special building at the dam called the McPhee Dam Powerplant. This plant uses the water from the reservoir to make electricity. It has two large machines called turbines. These turbines power a generator that can produce 1,300 kilowatts of electricity. Each year, the plant creates about 7,170,000 kilowatt-hours of power.
