Spinney Mountain State Park | |
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Location | Park County, Colorado, United States |
Nearest city | Hartsel, Colorado |
Coordinates | 39°00′08″N105°37′52″W / 39.00222°N 105.63111°W |
Area | 6,080 acres (24.6 km2) |
Established | 1987 |
Visitors | 161,531(in 2021) [1] |
Governing body | Colorado Parks and Wildlife |
Spinney Mountain State Park is a Colorado state park located in South Park in Park County, Colorado, United States. [2]
The park centers on the Spinney Mountain Reservoir, which is popular with anglers. The reservoir and surrounding land are owned by the City of Aurora, Colorado. The reservoir, built in 1981, is the largest reservoir owned by Aurora, and it provides the majority of the Aurora water supply. [3] [4] The park itself is managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. At high water, the reservoir's surface lies at 8,710 feet (2,650 metres) above sea level. It has a capacity of 53,651 acre-feet (66,178,000 cubic metres). [5]
Spinney Mountain Reservoir provides great fishing for rainbow trout and northern pike, and sometimes brown trout as well. The park closes for the winter when the reservoir freezes over and opens around mid-April. [6]
The park takes its name from nearby Spinney Mountain, elevation 9,488 feet (2,892 metres). [7]
The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River. Flowing through the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska, it is itself a major river of the American Midwest and the American Southwest/Mountain West. Its drainage basin includes much of the eastern flank of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, much of the populated region known as the Colorado Front Range and Eastern Plains, and a portion of southeastern Wyoming in the vicinity of the city of Cheyenne. It joins the North Platte River in western Nebraska to form the Platte, which then flows across Nebraska to the Missouri. The river serves as the principal source of water for eastern Colorado. In its valley along the foothills in Colorado, it has permitted agriculture in an area of the Colorado Piedmont and Great Plains that is otherwise arid.
The Cache la Poudre River, also known as the Poudre River, is a river in the state of Colorado in the United States.
Cherry Creek is a tributary of the South Platte River, 48.0 miles (77.2 km) long, in Colorado in the United States.
Spruce Run Recreation Area is a 1,290-acre (5.2 km2) New Jersey state recreation area located in Union Township and Clinton Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. It encompasses the Spruce Run Reservoir that is used as a backup reservoir to protect the state from prolonged droughts. The reservoir is the third largest in the state, after Round Valley and Wanaque Reservoir. The reservoir is used for recreation purposes, including hunting, fishing, boating and swimming.
The Prineville Reservoir is in the high desert hills of Central Oregon, Oregon, United States. The reservoir is on the Crooked River 14 miles (22.5 km) southeast of Prineville, and 29 miles (46.7 km) east of Bend. This reservoir is a popular retreat for most of Central Oregon. It is near the geographic center of Oregon. Prineville Reservoir State Park is managed by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.
Becker Lake is a reservoir managed as a trophy trout lake. Located near Springerville, Arizona, Becker Lake is part of the 622-acre (252 ha) Becker Lake Wildlife Area. Built around the year 1880, it is one of the oldest reservoirs in the White Mountains. The Arizona Game and Fish Department acquired the lake and property around it in 1973. The lake is located at 6,910 feet (2,110 m).
Rainbow Lake is a 116-acre manmade lake near the town of Pinetop-Lakeside and the community of Lake of the Woods in southern Navajo County, Arizona, United States. The lake was created in 1903 when Mormon settlers dammed Walnut Creek, a tributary of the Little Colorado River, to impound water for irrigation.
Eagle Nest Lake State Park is a state park in New Mexico, United States.
Lake Pueblo State Park is a state park located in Pueblo County, Colorado. It includes 60 miles (97 km) of shoreline and 10,000 acres (40 km2) of land. Activities it offers include two full-service marinas, recreational fishing, hiking, camping and swimming at a special swim beach.
Vega State Park is a 1,823-acre (738 ha) Colorado state park in Mesa County, Colorado in the United States. Vega Reservoir is a fishing destination and is located at an elevation of 7,696 feet (2,346 m). Year-round recreational activities at Vega State Park include boating, hiking, snowmobiling and camping. The park was established in 1967 in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation which was responsible for the construction of Vega Dam and Vega Reservoir. It is located at the northeast edge of Grand Mesa National Forest in Western Colorado.
Eleven Mile State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Park County, 11 miles (18 km) south of Lake George, Colorado, United States. Established in 1970, the 7,662-acre (31.01 km2) park surrounds 3,405-acre (13.78 km2), 5.5 miles (8.9 km) long Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir. The reservoir itself was completed in 1932 by Denver Water. Facilities include a marina, a visitors center and over 300 campsites. There are 5 miles (8.0 km) of trails available for hikers and bicyclists. Fish species include cutthroat, rainbow, brown trout and northern pike. Eleven Mile Reservoir is famous for the thriving Kokanee salmon population found in the river current along the north side of the reservoir known as the Dream Stream. This reservoir is also known for being very windy in the afternoon. A required daily vehicle park pass can be obtained at the entrance of the park. Daily species possession limits are as follows: trout, 4 total, two over 16" and two under 16", or four under 16"; salmon, 10; pike and crawdads, unlimited. Cottontail rabbit, white-tailed jackrabbit, coyote, muskrat and ground squirrels are commonly seen in the park. Mule deer, pronghorn, porcupine, badger, black bear and elk are seen occasionally.
Navajo State Park is a state park of Colorado, USA, on the north shore of Navajo Lake. Touted as Colorado's answer to Lake Powell, this reservoir on the San Juan River begins in Colorado's San Juan Mountains and extends 20 miles (32 km) into New Mexico. Its area is 15,000 acres (6,100 ha), and it has 150 miles (240 km) of shoreline in two states. Park activities include boating, houseboating, fishing, camping, and wildlife viewing. There is a New Mexico state park at the southern end of the lake.
Antero Reservoir is a reservoir in the US state of Colorado. It was created by the first dam placed on the South Platte River in Park County, central Colorado. It is owned by Denver Water and supplies drinking water to the greater Denver metro region almost 140 miles (230 km) away.
Holter Dam is a hydroelectric straight gravity dam on the Missouri River about 45 miles (72 km) northeast of Helena, Montana, in the United States. The dam, which was built between 1908 and 1918, is 1,364 feet (416 m) long and 124 feet (38 m) high. The reservoir formed by the dam, Holter Lake is 25 miles (40 km) long and has a storage capacity of 243,000 acre-feet (300,000,000 m3) of water when full. The dam is a "run-of-the-river" dam because it can generate electricity without needing to store additional water supplies behind the dam.
Tomichi Creek is a 71.8-mile-long (115.6 km) tributary of the Gunnison River in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States.
Rifle Gap Dam is a dam in Garfield County, Colorado, about five and a half miles north of Rifle.
Boulder Reservoir is located in the northern part of Boulder, Colorado. It stores water for the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District — also called Northern Water — and for the City of Boulder. The reservoir is the centerpiece of the Boulder Reservoir Regional Park, which is managed by the City of Boulder's Department of Parks and Recreation.
Costilla Creek is a tributary of the Rio Grande in Colorado and New Mexico.
Fishing in Colorado has brought in a large amount of revenue for the state. In 2019 Colorado Parks and Wildlife estimated outdoor recreation contributed roughly 62 billion dollars to the state economy. Fishing was reported to be the 5th most popular outdoor activity and 110, 511 fishing and hunting combination licenses were sold. Ice fishing makes up part of this total fishing revenue and is a common annual sport for Colorado residents and out-of-state visitors. There is no legal definition of ice fishing season. Rather, people begin to ice fish once the lakes freeze over with thick enough ice. Colorado Parks and Wildlife also recommend that people always ice-fish with another person. Typically, this starts in December and ends in April for Colorado. Lakes size, depth, elevation, and seasonal weather can cause variance to the season. Once the lakes freeze over with thick enough ice, anglers go out onto the ice, drill holes through the ice, and fish for a variety of species.
Lake Avery is a reservoir in Rio Blanco County, Colorado about 20 miles southeast of the town of Meeker. It also lies west of the unincorporated community of Buford. The reservoir is owned by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and its dam impounds Big Beaver Creek, a tributary of the White River. Lake Avery is also called Big Beaver Reservoir, however it is unclear whether the name has changed or whether the reservoir just has two names.
Spinney Reservoir provides quality fishing for rainbow trout and northern pike. Occasionally brown trout can be caught here as well.