Denver Water’s plans to ensure reliable water supplies in the future passed a milestone recently when the five-member Board of Water commissioners approved the hiring of a contractor for planning and preconstruction work during the final design phase for the Gross Reservoir Expansion Project.
The project has been working its way through the permitting process for 16 years and is in the final stages of the approval process. The existing dam, completed in 1954, was designed with the expectation that the reservoir would be expanded at some point in the future.
Denver Water plans to raise the dam by 131 feet, allowing the reservoir to store more water and nearly triple in size. The plan also includes environmental and neighborhood commitments to enhance watersheds and protect the communities surrounding the project.