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Assistant Secretary of the Army approves water reallocation agreement for Colorado

Published Oct. 1, 2014
Chatfield dam and reservoir are owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps leases 5,381 land and water acres to the State of Colorado Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation to operate Chatfield State Park.

Chatfield dam and reservoir are owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps leases 5,381 land and water acres to the State of Colorado Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation to operate Chatfield State Park.

Chatfield Dam was the second of three dams built to reduce flooding risks in the Denver area. Located southwest of Denver on the South Platte River, construction of the dam was begun in 1967 and was completed in 1975. The dam measures approximately 13,136 feet in length with a maximum height of 147 feet from the streambed to the top of the dam.

Chatfield Dam was the second of three dams built to reduce flooding risks in the Denver area. Located southwest of Denver on the South Platte River, construction of the dam was begun in 1967 and was completed in 1975. The dam measures approximately 13,136 feet in length with a maximum height of 147 feet from the streambed to the top of the dam.

Chatfield Lake lies on the South Platte River at its confluence with Plum Creek, near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains about 25 miles southwest of downtown Denver. The lake is 2 miles long and has an average depth of 47 feet. The lake drains an area of approximately 3,018 square miles. The 1,479-surface-acre lake has a storage capacity of 27,046 acre-feet.

Chatfield Lake lies on the South Platte River at its confluence with Plum Creek, near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains about 25 miles southwest of downtown Denver. The lake is 2 miles long and has an average depth of 47 feet. The lake drains an area of approximately 3,018 square miles. The 1,479-surface-acre lake has a storage capacity of 27,046 acre-feet.

OMAHA, Neb. -The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Jo-Ellen Darcy, approved the water reallocation agreement for the Chatfield Water Reallocation Project in Lakewood, Colorado, in a memo sent to the Omaha District on September 30. Signature authority for the agreement was delegated to Omaha District Commander Col. Joel R. Cross. 

The agreement will be between the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Colorado Water Conservation Board and Department of the Army. Upon execution storage from the flood control purpose will be reallocated to joint flood control-conservation purposes in the Chatfield Reservoir under the authority of - Section 808 (Water Resources Development Act of 1986); River and Harbor Act of 1958. 

The Chatfield Dam and Reservoir Project provides Denver Metropolitan area citizens with flood risk reduction from South Platte River, as well as numerous recreational opportunities. The State of Colorado’s Statewide Water Supply Initiative estimates that by the year 2050, statewide population will likely grow to between 8.6 and 10.3 million citizens, up from 5 million in 2010. To help meet expected demand, the state identified reallocation of storage at Chatfield Reservoir as one of several potential sources of additional water that could be developed to meet current and future demands. 

A feasibility study/environmental impact statement was approved and a Record of Decision was issued by Ms. Darcy May 29, 2014. The 20,600 acre feet of storage available under this agreement will be used for municipal and industrial water supply and other purposes including agriculture, environmental restoration, and recreation and fishery habitat protection and enhancement. One of the benefits of this reallocation project is its location on the South Platte allowing water to be captured in an existing federal facility. To off-set any impacts and to obtain use of the storage, the state will complete recreation modifications and environmental mitigation as outlined in the study.


Contact
Gwyn Jarrett
402-995-2717
gwyn.m.jarrett@usace.army.mil
or
Maggie Oldham
402-995-2416
margaret.e.oldham@usace.army.mil

Release no. 141001-003