Missouri Basin and Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas Gulf – Eastern Colorado Area Office

Eastern Colorado Area Office

The Eastern Colorado Area Office manages two large projects that benefit Coloradoans across the state: 

• The Colorado-Big Thompson (C-BT) 
• The Fryingpan-Arkansas (Fry-Ark) 

It also manages the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel Water Treatment Plant, which removes heavy metals that originated from historic mining activity before the water enters the Arkansas River.

C-BT Overview

The C-BT Project is one of the largest and most complex projects undertaken by the Bureau of Reclamation. It provides water for beneficial use to Colorado water users across the state.

• On Colorado’s West Slope, Green Mountain Reservoir stores water for irrigation, domestic and municipal water supply, industrial, recreational and environmental purposes such as fish and wildlife enhancement.
• On Colorado’s East Slope, diversions from the Colorado River provide supplemental irrigation water for 550,000 acres east of the Continental Divide, supplemental municipal and industrial water supply for more than 1.1 million residents in Northeastern Colorado, and many recreational opportunities.
• The CB-T Project’s six hydroelectric plants produce enough electricity to power nearly 68,000 households.

Managing partners include:

• Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (Northern Water)
• Larimer County Department of Natural Resources
• Estes Valley Recreation and Park District
• U.S. Forest Service

Fry-Ark Overview:

The Fry-Ark Project provides water for beneficial use to Colorado water users across the state.

• On Colorado’s West Slope, Ruedi Reservoir stores water for irrigation, domestic and municipal water supply, industrial, and environmental purposes such as fish and wildlife enhancement.
• On Colorado’s East Slope, diversions from the Fryingpan River and its tributaries provide supplemental irrigation water for 217,000 irrigated acres and over 900,000 residents in Southeastern Colorado.
• The Mt. Elbert powerplant also produces enough electricity each year to power approximately 20,000 households.

Managing partners include:

• Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District
• Colorado Parks and Wildlife
• U.S. Forest Service