Crystal Reservoir is a 340-acre artificial reservoir on the
Gunnison River
The Gunnison River is located in western Colorado, United States and is one of the largest tributaries of the Colorado River.
Description
The river flows east to west and has a drainage area of according to the USGS. The drainage basin of ...
in western
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
. Located in the upper
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is an American national park located in western Colorado and managed by the National Park Service. There are two primary entrances to the park: the south rim entrance is located east of Montrose, Colora ...
, the lake was created in 1976 by the U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation
The Bureau of Reclamation, and formerly the United States Reclamation Service, is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees water resource management, specifically as it applies to the oversight and opera ...
as part of a larger plan to impound the upper section of the Gunnison for the generation of hydroelectric power, water storage, and public recreation. Crystal Reservoir is managed by the
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...
as an element of the
Curecanti National Recreation Area
Curecanti National Recreation Area(Pronounced (locally) or .) is a National Park Service unit located on the Gunnison River in western Colorado. Established in 1965, Curecanti National Recreation Area is responsible for developing and managing r ...
. Located at the far western end of Curecanti, Crystal Reservoir is the smallest, least developed, and least accessible of the three reservoirs within the park.
Background
Crystal Reservoir is part of the Wayne N. Aspinall Unit of the
Colorado River Storage Project
The Colorado River Storage Project is a United States Bureau of Reclamation project designed to oversee the development of the upper Colorado River basin. The project provides hydroelectric power, flood control and water storage for participat ...
, a Bureau of Reclamation project that retains the waters of the
Colorado River
The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid drainage basin, watershed that encompasses parts of ...
and its tributaries, such as the Gunnison, for agricultural and municipal use. Crystal Reservoir was created by the impoundment of the Gunnison River approximately 6 miles west of
Morrow Point Dam
Morrow Point Dam is a concrete double-arch dam on the Gunnison River located in Colorado, the first dam of its type built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Located in the upper Black Canyon of the Gunnison, it creates Morrow Point Reservoir, an ...
by
Crystal Dam, a 323-ft. concrete double-arch dam built by the
Bureau of Reclamation
The Bureau of Reclamation, and formerly the United States Reclamation Service, is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees water resource management, specifically as it applies to the oversight and opera ...
. The last of three reservoirs impounded for the Aspinall Unit, construction on Crystal Dam began in 1973, 5 years after the completion of Morrow Point Dam and 7 years after the completion of Blue Mesa Dam. The westernmost of the three reservoirs, Crystal is the last impoundment before the river enters the deep and dangerous
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is an American national park located in western Colorado and managed by the National Park Service. There are two primary entrances to the park: the south rim entrance is located east of Montrose, Colora ...
.
Recreation
Crystal Reservoir is part of the
Curecanti National Recreation Area
Curecanti National Recreation Area(Pronounced (locally) or .) is a National Park Service unit located on the Gunnison River in western Colorado. Established in 1965, Curecanti National Recreation Area is responsible for developing and managing r ...
, a
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...
administered area responsible for developing and managing recreation facilities on the three reservoirs of the Aspinall Unit.
![Bridge over the Gunnison River below Morrow Point Dam, Colorado](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Bridge_over_the_Gunnison_River_below_Morrow_Point_Dam%2C_Colorado.jpg)
Recreational opportunities at Crystal include boating (hand-carried craft only), camping, and hiking. There are two small developed areas near the reservoir, Mesa Creek Trailhead and Crystal Creek Trailhead. Mesa Creek Trailhead is located immediately west of Point Morrow Dam, and can be accessed from a one-mile road running north of U.S. 50 at Cimarron. Hand-launched watercraft can be launched into Crystal from Mesa Creek. A single boat-in campsite is located approximately 4 miles west of Mesa Creek at the mouth of Crystal Creek. Mesa Creek is also the trailhead for the Mesa Creek Trail, a fairly to moderately strenuous 1.5 mile round trip that crosses the reservoir on a footbridge and travels west along the north shore.
Though Mesa Creek is a day-use facility, developed campsites are available at nearby Cimarron.
Crystal Creek Trailhead is located on Colorado Highway 92, 24 miles west of Blue Mesa Dam and offers access to the 5-mile (round trip) Crystal Creek Trail. Moderately strenuous, Crystal Creek trail does reach the water but ends at an overlook 1800 ft. above the reservoir.
See also
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List of largest reservoirs of Colorado
This is a list of the largest reservoirs in the state of Colorado. All thirty-eight reservoirs that contain greater than are included in the list. Most of the larger reservoirs in the state are owned by the United States Bureau of Reclamation and, ...
*
Colorado River Storage Project
The Colorado River Storage Project is a United States Bureau of Reclamation project designed to oversee the development of the upper Colorado River basin. The project provides hydroelectric power, flood control and water storage for participat ...
*
Crystal Dam
*
Curecanti National Recreation Area
Curecanti National Recreation Area(Pronounced (locally) or .) is a National Park Service unit located on the Gunnison River in western Colorado. Established in 1965, Curecanti National Recreation Area is responsible for developing and managing r ...
*
Blue Mesa Reservoir
Blue Mesa Reservoir is an artificial reservoir located on the upper reaches of the Gunnison River in Gunnison County, Colorado. The largest lake located entirely within the state, Blue Mesa Reservoir was created by the construction of Blue Mesa ...
*
Morrow Point Reservoir
Morrow Point Reservoir is an artificial reservoir on the Gunnison River in western Colorado. Located in the upper Black Canyon of the Gunnison, the lake was created in 1968 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation as part of a larger plan to impound t ...
External links
NPS: Curecanti National Recreation AreaBureau of Reclamation: Crystal Dam
References
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Reservoirs in Colorado
Gunnison River
Colorado River Storage Project
Curecanti National Recreation Area
Lakes of Gunnison County, Colorado
Protected areas of Gunnison County, Colorado
1976 establishments in Colorado