Black Lake (Eagle County, Colorado)

Black Lake
Black Lake #1
The reservoir in 2024
Black Lake The reservoir's location in Colorado
Location	Eagle
Group	The Black Lakes
Coordinates	39°32′23.36″N106°13′7.24″W / 39.5398222°N 106.2186778°W / 39.5398222; -106.2186778
Type	reservoir
Primary inflows	Black Gore Creek
Primary outflows	Black Gore Creek
Basin  countries	United States
Managing agency	Eagle River Water & Sanitation District
Built	1939
Water volume	642 acre-feet (792,000 cubic meters)
Surface elevation	10,509 feet (3,203 meters)
Frozen	Freezes in winter
References	[1] [2]

Black Lake #2

Black Lake is a reservoir at Vail Pass in Eagle County, Colorado. The reservoir collects and stores water for the Eagle River Water & Sanitation District. It lies at an elevation of over 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) and sits alongside Interstate 70.

Dam

The dam, Black Lake #1 Dam, has NID ID CO02188 and is a 73-foot (22-meter) high earthen dam that can store up to 642 acre-feet (792,000 cubic meters) of water. It was built in 1939 and is 400 feet (120 meters) wide. ^[2]

Black Lake #2

A second reservoir — Black Lake #2 — lies approximately 100 yards (91 meters) north of Black Lake #1 along the bike path on the west side of Interstate 70. Located at 39°32′53.86″N106°13′23.16″W / 39.5482944°N 106.2231000°W / 39.5482944; -106.2231000 and at an elevation of 10,509 feet (3,203 meters), Black Lake #2 is smaller than Black Lake #1, with a storage capacity of 148 acre-feet (183,000 cubic meters) of water. Its 30-foot (9.1-meter) high dam is owned by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and was built in 1957. ^{[3] [2] [4]}

Recreation

Jointly, the two lakes are often referred to simply as "The Black Lakes." Both dams impound Black Gore Creek, a tributary of Gore Creek. The reservoirs are stocked twice yearly with rainbow trout, so they are popular with anglers. Black Lake #1 also has a fishing pier. ^[5] In addition, the White River National Forest manages the Black Lakes Picnic Site, which includes the areas around both lakes. ^[6]

References

1. "Black Lake". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. December 31, 1981. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
2. "Black Lake #1". National Inventory of Dams. United States Army. December 22, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
3. "Black Lake Number 2". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. December 31, 1981. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
4. "Black Lake #2". National Inventory of Dams. United States Army. December 22, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
5. "Black Lakes near Vail Pass stocked with trout for the second time this year". VailDaily. July 27, 2022. Archived from the original on July 28, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
6. "Black Lakes Picnic Site". White River National Forest. USDA Forest Service. n.d. Retrieved July 25, 2024.