Blue Mesa, the largest reservoir in Colorado, is a quarter full. What are officials doing about it?

This year, people passing by Blue Mesa on U.S. 50 have a close-up view of what used to be the bottom of the reservoir. Managing Blue Mesa in a drought year means executing a careful dance between competing needs. The Lake Fork boat ramp at Blue Mesa Reservoir is closed and locked on August 4, 2026. (Photo by William Woody)Water from Blue Mesa flows through the Gunnison Tunnel to reach cropland in the Uncompahgre Valley. Changing the game planWater managers are pulling all of the available levers to avoid reaching critically low water levels at Blue Mesa, officials said.