Managers of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project have resumed the work of positioning water for delivery during peak demand periods on the Colorado Front Range.

In December, inspectors from the Bureau of Reclamation discovered damage at the afterbay of the Pole Hill Power Plant that required repair, resulting in a three-month pause of wintertime water deliveries to Horsetooth Reservoir and Carter Lake in Larimer County. Those two reservoirs had sufficient water in reserves to ensure there were minimal impacts from the delivery disruptions.

In early March, Reclamation crews started releasing water from Lake Estes down the Big Thompson River to be delivered to Horsetooth Reservoir by way of the Dille Diversion. With the repairs at Pole Hill Power Plant complete, however, water deliveries through the C-BT Project will be more efficient and generate additional hydroelectric power.

Depending on water use and the season’s hydrology, Horsetooth Reservoir and Carter Lake should have sufficient water for recreation use throughout the peak summertime period.