Old Dillon Reservoir to be Expanded?

The U.S. Forest Service will soon begin a formal review of plans to enlarge Old Dillon Reservoir.

The proposal to increase the reservoir’s surface area from 10 acres to about 16 acres has been in the works for several years.

Pending completion of the Forest Service analysis, work could start on the ground in 2009, said County Commissioner Tom Long.

The project is a partnership between Dillon, Silverthorne and Summit County. Long said all those entities could benefit from an increase in capacity.

Right now, the reservoir, built in the 1930s, holds about 46 acres feet (and acre foot equals about 326,000 gallons).

As envisioned, that capacity would increase to more than 200 acre feet, Long said.

“It’s a strategic spot ... it would be valuable water,” Long said.

The project could be developed at a cost of about $40,000 per acre foot. For the sake of comparison, Long said water from Clinton Gulch reservoir costs about $35,000 per acre foot.