Wayne N. Aspinall Unit

Historic black and white aerial image of a full reservoir. Roadways, mesas, and structures surround the water's edge.
Aerial view of Blue Mesa Reservoir looking east when the reservoir is full, circa 1968.

NPS Photo

Water availability is a long-term issue that affects not only the immediate region around Curecanti National Recreation Area, but areas across the American Southwest. Ten National Park Service (NPS) units, including Curecanti, are in the Colorado River Basin. The Colorado River Basin is divided into an Upper Basin (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) and Lower Basin (Arizona, Nevada, and California).

The Colorado River Basin is a critical landscape element that affects ecosystems and human populations. In 1922, the seven Upper Basin and Lower Basin states reached an agreement to divide the Colorado River waters in the Colorado River Compact. Dams, power plants, and other water developments along the Colorado River and major tributaries are the result of this compact.

Colorado River Storage Project Act

The Colorado River Storage Project Act, which had been envisioned decades before, was authorized by Congress on April 11, 1956. It shaped the development and management of water in the Upper Basin. Storage units in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona were planned and constructed (see map below). The act also authorized projects for irrigation, reclamation, flood control, and storing water for beneficial use. Additionally, hydroelectric power would be created as a result.

Secretary of the Interior Fred Seaton approved Blue Mesa and Morrow Point dams and powerplants in 1959. Crystal Dam approval was not until 1962, since the construction design had not been completed. The authorizing act for the Wayne N. Aspinall Unit (formerly the Curecanti Unit) stated everything needed to be built above the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument (now park) boundary and below 7,520 ft (2,292 m) above sea level.

The proposed size of Blue Mesa Reservoir was met with opposition from Gunnison County residents. In response, the Bureau of Reclamation reduced the maximum size of the reservoir to its present-day 900,000-acre feet. Ultimately, businesses and towns along the Gunnison River would be lost.

 
 
Historic image of a cosntruction worker sitting on a ledge above a partially constructed dam. The dam is multiple stories high with scaffolding and equipment on it. Trucks are near the bottom. Canyon walls surround it.
Morrow Point Dam construction

Photo courtesy of Maynard Willis, Bureau of Reclamation

Construction Years 1961-1978

Blue Mesa Dam construction, Morrow Point Dam construction, and U.S. Highway 50 and CO-149 relocation, all begin in 1961. Land acquisition arrangements and purchases for Blue Mesa Reservoir began in 1961.  

U.S. Highway 50 and Colorado Highway 149 relocation projects (present-day locations) were completed in 1964. Construction of Blue Mesa Dam was officially completed in 1966. Blue Mesa Powerplant was completed in 1968. The reservoir began filling in 1966. The towns of Iola and Cebolla were flooded, as well as many ranches and angler resorts along the Gunnison River. Sapinero was also inundated by reservoir waters, and the town was moved uphill on the south side of the reservoir. Each basin of Blue Mesa Reservoir is named after the displaced communities. 

Morrow Point Dam construction completed in October 1968. Work on the powerplant was finished in 1971. Unlike Blue Mesa Dam, Morrow Point Dam also had visitor facilities built for the public. Miscellaneous projects, including the visitor center, continued until completion in 1972. 

Crystal Dam construction began in 1964. Access road construction from East Portal begin in 1965. Although the road and damsite drilling were completed in 1966, there was a hiatus on work until 1971. The dam was completed a year behind schedule in 1976. Powerplant construction occurred from 1977 to 1978. 

 
Historic black and white image of an earthen dam construction between two canyon walls. Historic black and white image of an earthen dam construction between two canyon walls.

Left image
Blue Mesa Dam construction, 1960s
Credit: NPS Photo

Right image
Blue Mesa Dam, 2015
Credit: NPS/Troy Hunt

 
Historic black and white image of a small white boat ramp next to a large reservoir. A concrete ramp approaches the water. A small brown sign is next to the ramp.
Courtesy ramp built at Iola, 1967

NPS Photo

Role of the NPS

Under authority of Section 8 of the Colorado River Storage Project Act of 1956, the Secretary of the Interior is directed to "investigate, plan, construct, operate, and maintain public recreational facilities on lands withdrawn or acquired for the project's purposes, and to provide for appropriate public use and enjoyment of the same and of the water surface created by the project."

In 1958, the NPS was approved by the Secretary of the Interior to be designated as the agency responsible for carrying out the Department of Interior's obligations under Section 8. These obligations included carrying out the operation and maintenance of public recreation facilities, public use and enjoyment, and natural and cultural resource protection.

Two of the four major units in the Colorado River Storage Project are administered by the National Park Service - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (Utah and Arizona) and Curecanti National Recreation Area.

Basic recreation developments at Curecanti were prepared in 1965 and estimated to cost $4 million. This work included roads, boat ramps, campgrounds, utility systems, and administrative buildings. Elk Creek Visitor Center, designed by Cecil Doty, was also constructed during this time through "Mission 66" infrastructure projects.

 
Color print of a dedication ceremony with people sitting in front of a large podium. A wooden sign is on the edge of a large reservoir. Mesas are visible beyond the water.
Wayne N. Aspinall Storage Unit Dedication, July 1981. Blue Mesa Reservoir is in the background.

NPS

Wayne N. Aspinall Unit

A Congressional bill was passed on October 3, 1980, to rename the Curecanti Unit to Wayne N. Aspinall Unit. A dedication ceremony was held in July 1981. Aspinall, a Congressional representative from Colorado, was influential in land and water policies from the 1950s to 1970s. He and other western representatives sponsored the bill for the Colorado River Storage Project.

Although tours are not currently available at any of the dams, informational panels are found at various pulloffs along U.S. Highway 50 and at Morrow Point Dam overlook parking area.

Interested in learning more? Visit the Bureau of Reclamation website.

 

Last updated: February 3, 2025

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

102 Elk Creek
Gunnison, CO 81230

Phone:

970 641-2337 x205
This phone is not monitored when the building is closed. If you are having an emergency, call 911.

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