GRAND COUNTY WATER
Moffat Tunnel
History:
This tunnel is a railroad passageway and a water tunnel that is 6.2 miles long and was named after a wealthy businessman. It was completed in 1928 after 48 months of construction and goes under the Continental Divide by James Peak. The western portal of the tunnel is by Winter Park Ski Area and the eastern portal is 50 miles west of Denver on the Front Range near Rollinsville, Colorado. The tunnel cost almost $24 million to construct. The first Fraser River water was diverted through this tunnel to be used in urban areas on the eastern slope in 1936. Denver Water is the owner and operator of this tunnel and they own 90% of the water rights on the Fraser River and divert 60% of the Fraser River flows through this tunnel. Make sure to visit the Current News section as this tunnel has been in the news due to the Gross Reservoir expansion project and the Colorado River Cooperative Agreement.
Water Flow:
The water is diverted from the Fraser River near Winter Park Ski area under the Continental Divide where it is eventually stored in Gross Reservoir near Boulder, Colorado.
Current News:
Boulder County: “Gross Reservoir Expansion Proposal”
Denver Water: “Colorado River Cooperative Agreement: Path to a Secure Water Future”
Grand County: “Colorado River Cooperative Agreement”
September 28, 2015: "Stop Moffat: Why we oppose Denver Water's river draining, dam-expansion plan"
June 19, 2014: “EPA sees plans for Gross Reservoir expansion as threat to water quality”
May 1, 2014: “Proposed water diversion and Gross Reservoir expansion may trigger all-out water war”
Information on Sediment Ponds:
From local newspaper: November 1, 2013