Roaring Fork Conservancy

Outdoor watering is one of the biggest drivers of summer water use. By watering less often and more efficiently we can help keep more water in our rivers and streams this summer when they need it most.
Learn more at RoaringFork.org/drought/drought-response.

⚠️𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐳𝐥𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐦 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 ⚠️

ORDWAY, Colo. – Grizzly Reservoir in Pitkin County will be drained for dam-maintenance construction after peak runoff and will be unavailable for public recreation this year. The Portal Campground and dispersed camping along Lincoln Creek Road will remain open.

Draining is expected to begin in mid-to-late June, with work completion estimated for late October, followed by refilling in accordance with the State-approved refill plan. The reservoir is expected to be available for public recreation in the 2027 summer season.

Grizzly Reservoir is owned and operated by the Twin Lakes Reservoir and Canal Company as part of the Independence Pass Transmountain Diversion System. This year’s work is a continuation of the dam maintenance work started in 2024. Activities include construction of new dam outlet gates and completion of the waterproof liner to protect the steel face of the dam.

Construction traffic is expected on Lincoln Creek Road for the duration of the project and motorists travelling the road are advised to follow construction/traffic signage.

Based on lessons learned during the reservoir draining in 2024, the Twin Lakes Company has developed additional mitigation measures to reduce the likelihood, duration, and extent of any sediment discharges into Lincoln Creek and the Roaring Fork River during this year’s reservoir draining. Some sediment discharge and discoloration of the water in Lincoln Creek and further downstream is still possible. Any such events will be promptly communicated to Pitkin County, Roaring Fork Conservancy, Colorado Parks & Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

More information regarding the Portal campground can be found here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/whiteriver/recreation/portal-campground

More information regarding dispersed camping on Lincoln Creek Road can be found here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/whiteriver/recreation/lincoln-creek-dispersed-camping

𝘛𝘸𝘪𝘯 𝘓𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘰 𝘚𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘜𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘗𝘶𝘦𝘣𝘭𝘰 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘗𝘶𝘦𝘣𝘭𝘰 𝘞𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘈𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘳𝘢 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴.

City of Aspen Government U.S. Forest Service - White River National Forest Pitkin County Healthy Rivers Pitkin County Government

"Some day in the next 12 months – maybe in late-August, maybe not until next spring – Lake Mead will drop below the critical threshold of 1,035 feet above sea level.

That is the water-level elevation at which hydropower generating capacity at Hoover Dam, the largest in the Colorado River basin, will be cut by 70 percent. The drastic and immediate reduction in a cheap source of power that is responsive to hourly changes in electricity demand will have consequences for the region’s power customers and the broader electric grid alike.

Water managers have known for at least a year and a half that elevation 1,035 feet will be a problem for Hoover’s hydropower. Twelve of the dam’s 17 turbines are not designed to operate in low-water conditions that would be present when Mead is below that level. After record-low winter runoff into already-depleted reservoirs, water managers now know that the day of reckoning is coming soon.

“We’re going to go to 1,035,” Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, said at a meeting in mid-May. “There’s no question that’s going to happen.”

Hoover Dam Approaches a Hydropower Cliff Explore the critical threshold for hydropower at Hoover Dam as Lake Mead's water levels approach a significant drop.