GRAND COUNTY, Colo. — June 30, 2026 — Denver Water is draining Meadow Creek Reservoir to allow for a thorough inspection and upgrades to the 52-year-old dam. The reservoir, west of Granby, will be lowered to about 6% capacity beginning in mid-July.

The U.S. Forest Service, which manages recreation at Meadow Creek Reservoir, says the area will remain open to recreation during the project and while the reservoir is drained, however opportunities for water-based activities will be limited because of the extremely low reservoir level. Other recreational opportunities adjacent to Meadow Creek Reservoir will not be impacted. 

While the inspection and project are expected to be completed by mid-December, the timing of when the reservoir will be refilled will depend on the amount of snowfall and timing of snowmelt during the 2027 spring runoff season.  

State regulations require an inspection of the outlet pipe at the bottom of the dam every 10 years. While the reservoir is drawn down for this assessment, Denver Water is replacing the intake valve that controls water to the outlet. The project, once complete, is expected to change operations in a way that allows for future state-required inspections without the need to drain the reservoir. 

With a capacity of 5,370 acre-feet, Meadow Creek Reservoir, located approximately 13 miles northeast of Fraser, is used to deliver water to the north end of Denver’s water system via the Moffat Tunnel to Gross Reservoir.

While most of the additional water drained from the reservoir this summer will be captured in Gross Reservoir, some will flow into Meadow Creek and bolster irrigation supplies or instream flows in the Fraser River system.