Basin countries United States Area 6.03 km² | Surface area 1,490 acres (600 ha) Water volume 148 million m³ | |
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Primary inflows Primary outflows Basin Creek (Outflow returns to the Animas River) | ||
Lake nighthorse open soon
Lake Nighthorse is a reservoir created by the 270 feet (82 m) high Ridges Basin Dam Southwest of Durango in La Plata County Colorado. As part of the Animas-La Plata Water Project, Lake Nighthorse provides water storage for tribal and water right claim-holders along the Animas River.
Contents
- Lake nighthorse open soon
- Map of Lake Nighthorse Colorado USA
- Lake nighthorse
- HistoryEdit
- Recreation and marinasEdit
- References
Map of Lake Nighthorse, Colorado, USA
Lake nighthorse
HistoryEdit
First authorized by the U.S. Congress on September 30, 1968 (Public Law 90-537), the Animas-La Plata Water Project, as it came to be known, experience several decades of delays due in part to political concerns, farming claims, environmental challenges, cost overruns and government funding issues. A breakthrough to the delays came with the Colorado Ute Settlement Act Amendments in December 2000 (Public Law 106-554).
The Bureau of Reclamation began construction in 2003, with the reservoir filling to capacity on June 29, 2011 at a total cost of $500 million. Lake Nighthorse is named in honor of former United States Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colo.
Recreation and marinasEdit
The lake is currently closed to the public. However, as of March 2015, the Bureau of Reclamation was working with the City of Durango on a recreation lease and annexation agreement, as well as a cultural resource management plan to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Additional construction at the reservoir is planned to start in the summer of 2015.