Chambers Lake (Colorado)

Chambers Lake is a reservoir in Larimer County, Colorado. Located within the Roosevelt National Forest, the reservoir supplies water for irrigation and municipal water supply.

Chambers Lake
The lake in summer
Chambers Lake
Location in Colorado
LocationLarimer County, Colorado
Coordinates40.6045224°N 105.8533750°W / 40.6045224; -105.8533750[1]
TypeReservoir
EtymologyNamed for Robert Chambers, a trapper who camped at the site in 1858[2]
Primary inflowsFall Creek, Skyline Ditch, Joe Wright Creek
Primary outflowsJoe Wright Creek
Managing agencyThe Water Supply and Storage Company
Surface area255 acres (103 ha)[3]
Water volume11,350 acre⋅ft (14,000,000 m3)[4]
Surface elevation2,791 m (9,157 ft) [1]

The reservoir is owned by the Water Supply and Storage Company, based in Fort Collins. The city of Thornton owns a large proportion of the company's stock.[5] Water from the reservoir makes its way to the Cache la Poudre River. It then flows down through Poudre Canyon to Colorado's Eastern Plains, where it is distributed.

History

The current dam is the third one to exist at the reservoir. Earlier dams burst in 1891 and 1904, causing much flooding and damage downstream. The present dam was built in 1910 and later renovated to increase its height to 58 feet. The renovations were completed in 1928.[2]

Chambers Lake receives water from Skyline Ditch, completed in 1894, and several creeks. The ditch carries water from the Laramie River, which is part of the North Platte River watershed. The lake itself and its drainage are part of the South Platte River watershed, so the ditch is an early example of an interbasin transfer in Colorado.[6]

Recreation

The Forest Service operates the Chambers Lake Campground, near the lake. Given the area's high altitude, the campground has a short season and is only open from about the end of June to the end of September.[7]

The lake also offers fishing.

References
  1. "Chambers Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved Jan 15, 2021.
  2. "Chambrers Lake". Colorado State University. Public Lands History Center. Colorado State University. Retrieved 2017-08-31. Chambers Lake, at 9,300 feet above sea level in the Medicine Bow Range, is named for trapper Robert Chambers, who camped there with his son in 1858.
  3. Davies, Kurt (2013). "Chambers Lake Fish Survey and Management Data" (PDF). Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 2017-08-31.
  4. Lakepedia. Chambers Lake, Colorado. Viewed: 2017-08-31
  5. "Guide to the Water Supply and Storage Company Collection". Colorado State University Libraries. Retrieved 2017-08-31. In 1986, the city of Thornton purchased substantial stock in the company, which has subsequently provided water for both municipal and agricultural purpose
  6. "Skyline Ditch". Colorado State University. Public Lands History Center. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
  7. "Chambers Lake Campground". USDA Forest Service. Retrieved 2017-09-01.


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