South Platte River Basin

General Basin Characteristics

Major reservoirs in the South Platte Basin include Lake Granby, Grand Lake, Carter Lake, Horsetooth Reservoir, Chatfield Reservoir, Cherry Creek Reservoir, Barr Lake, Riverside Reservoir, Empire Reservoir, Sterling Reservoir, and Julesburg Reservoir.

Major tributaries to the South Platte include the Poudre, Big Thompson, St. Vrain, Boulder Creek, Clear Creek, and Cherry Creek.

The South Platte River Basin--Illustrated

Total Basin Inflow

Native water: 1,440,000 acre-feet

Imported water: 336,000 acre-feet

Total Basin Outflow

Basin outflow, 1970: 304,000 acre-feet

Basin outflow, 1993: 387,000 acre-feet

Irrigated Acreage (surface water only)

Irrigated acreage, 1992: 730,700 acres

Irrigation consumptive use and associated consumptive reservoir and conveyance losses: 1,251,000 acre-feet

Water Quality in the South Platte River Basin

Dissolved solids and salt accumulation on the lower irrigated lands are issues. High nitrogen concentrations are present in the ground water of the central portion of the basin.

Links to Other Sites Containing South Platte River Basin Data

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National water Quality Assessment Program: South Platte River Basin

An extremely thorough description of the physical setting and water quality conditions of the South Platte River Basin.

Sources:

Division of Water Resources and Colorado Water Conservation Board. Senate Joint Resolution 94-32 Concerning the Management, Conservation, and Preservation of the Water Resources of the State of Colorado. Colorado Department of Natural Resources, 1995.

Agricultural Water Conservation Task Force. Regional Characteristics. Colorado Water Resources Research Institute, 1995.

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