Denver Water's Balancing Act: Managing Boating, Supply On Dillon Reservoir
DILLON, Colo. (CBS4)- The marina is buzzing with excitement already as workers get boats ready for the season. But behind the scenes, it is a balancing act for Denver Water to manage the massive reservoir in the heart of Colorado's playground.
The ice is beginning to melt on Dillon Reservoir thanks to warmer temperatures this spring. Higher up in the mountains the snow pack is also starting to melt.
At the marina, workers are getting some boats in the water already.
"It is a lot of work but it is really fun," said Dillon Marina manager Craig Simson.
Simson isn't just the marina manager, he's also an avid sail boat enthusiast.
"It's a really popular designation… it's a really popular lake," he added.
The race is on to get boats ready for the season. The popular recreation area gives boaters plenty of options for outdoor recreation. All of this is made possible because Denver Water carefully manages the reservoir.
And officials say it's going to be a banner year.
"The bowl is a little bigger this year to accept all of this runoff that we wonderfully received this season," Todd Hartman with Denver Water told CBS4's Matt Kroschel.
Hartman says it's a challenge to manage the water supply on the Front Range while balancing flooding concerns, hydroelectric power operations and keeping reservoir levels high enough for boaters.
This year's plentiful snow pack will make that job a lot easier compared to last year's below-average snowpack.
"We try to balance. We want the reservoir to be at a level that supports those marinas in Dillon and Frisco. That is one more element- all these different things we are managing," Hartman said.
Right now, Dillon reservoir is 73% full. Typically this time of year it would be closer to 85%, according to Denver Water. That means they have more room to capture and hold the extra snow melt headed this way.
"They (Denver Water) do a really good job keeping our water levels where we need them so people can enjoy this wonderful place," Simson added.