Blue Mesa Reservoir is an artificial reservoir located on the upper reaches of the Gunnison River in Gunnison County, Colorado. The largest lake located entirely within the state, Blue Mesa Reservoir was created by the construction of Blue Mesa Dam, a 390 feet (120 m) tall earthen fill dam constructed on the Gunnison by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in 1966 for the generation of hydroelectric power. Managed as part of the Curecanti National Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park Service, Blue Mesa Reservoir is the largest lake trout and Kokanee salmon fishery in Colorado.
Blue Mesa Reservoir
Blue Mesa Dam
The Middle Bridge crossing Blue Mesa Reservoir near Sapinero.
The Dillon Pinnacles, Blue Mesa Reservoir
The Gunnison River is located in western Colorado, United States and is one of the largest tributaries of the Colorado River.
The Gunnison River in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
An aerial photograph of Gunnison River, November 2014
Black Canyon of the Gunnison, June 2016