Independence Pass Trans-Basin Diversion Tour
Friday, September 24, 2010
Independence
Pass is the site of one of Colorado's first trans-basin diversions. The Twin
Lakes Project which was built in 1935 to take water from the Roaring Fork Basin
to the Arkansas Basin. The project diverts an average of 41,000 af/year through
the Grizzly Tunnel which goes under the Continental Divide at the head of
Lincoln Creek, a tributary to the Roaring Fork. This tour will include visits to
Grizzly Reservoir, where water is collected before going through the tunnel, and
to the diversion structures on the Roaring Fork. We will discuss the effects of
the diversion on the local ecology and the policy context of trans-basin
diversions. The tour will be led by Mark Fuller, Director of the Independence
Pass Foundation, a local nonprofit that has sponsored stewardship projects and
programs on the Pass since 1989. In addition to the water diversion structures,
Mr. Fuller will point out the Pass' historic and natural features and the tour
will include stops at several scenic viewpoints. The Tour will take
approximately three hours and will include some easy to moderate high-altitude
hiking for short distances.Participants should be ready for cold and precipitation and should have plenty of water. Participation is limited to 15 and car-pooling is recommended. High-clearance vehicles will be required for the Lincoln Creek Road portion of the trip. Participants should meet at the North Star Preserve approximately 2 miles east of Aspen at 9 AM.