Preliminary Examination of Reservoir Sites in Wyoming and Colorado

Combating water scarcity in the American West during the late 19th century.

“A letter from the Chief of Engineers, together with a report from Captain Chittenden of a preliminary examination made by him of certain reservoir sites in the states of Wyoming and Colorado.” – title page.

This detailed report was extracted from a volume originally published by the Government Printing Office in 1899. The majority of its contents were compiled by engineer Hiram Chittenden (1858 – 1917) during an 1897 reconnaissance of rivers and potential dam/reservoir sites across Colorado and Wyoming. He led a small group that explored numerous sites near Laramie, Loveland, Sweetwater, Piney Creek and the South Platte – each of which is outlined.

Accompanying Chittenden’s observations and recommendations are numerous photographs of dams and reservoirs (constructed and proposed). Several folding maps and diagrams are also included, but have been disbound and separated from the report. The include the following:

Reservoir Site Near Laramie Wyoming; Reservoir Site The ‘Devil’s Gate’ Sweet Water River Wyo.; Cloud Peak Reservoir Johnson County, Wyoming.; Piney Reservoir. Johnson County, Wyoming; Lake de Smet Reservoir and Supply and Discharge Canals. Johnson County, Wyoming.; Reservoir Site on the South Fork of the South Platte River in Colorado; Reservoir Site Boyd Lakes Near Loveland Colorado; Floods in the Mississippi System 1880 – 1885; Floods in the Lower Mississippi 1882 – 1897; Map Showing Water Sheds of Principal Streams of the Arid Section of the United States