Newest reservoirs in Southwest Colorado
The year that a reservoir was first filled to the reservoir’s normal elevation – or the year that a natural lake was first dammed – is the determining factor in the age of the body of water. A large reservoir can take more than a year to fill after its dam is first closed. You can find many of the the world’s newest reservoirs on LakeLubbers in the comparison table below. Many of the world’s oldest reservoirs appear on the last page of that list. Note: For some lakes, the completion year data is unknown, so you may see fewer lakes than the total 7 articles we have published for Southwest Colorado lakes.Thinking about booking a Southwest Colorado lake vacation home rental, cabin or hotel?
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Below are lakes within USA > US West Region > Colorado > Southwest Colorado > Compared by newest (youngest) reservoirs and the year it was completed. This list does not represent all lakes in Southwest Colorado, only the 7 Southwest Colorado lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Completion year |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| McPhee Reservoir, CO (Colorado, Southwest Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
1985 | In 1776 Spanish priests traveling through the Dolores Valley imagined a project that would bring water to the thirsty crops of the Montezuma Valley. B … |
| Crystal Reservoir, CO (Colorado, Southwest Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
1976 | In 1882 the Curecanti needle became the symbol for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. With its steep cliffs and rock formations, the area around Crys … |
| Morrow Point Reservoir, CO (Colorado, Southwest Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
1967 | Only something truly breathtaking and extraordinary would make it worth carrying a kayak down 232 steps. The steep, rocky cliffs meeting the clear blu … |
| Blue Mesa Reservoir, CO (Colorado, Southwest Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
1965 | Also known as Blue Mesa Lake Beautiful mesas, deep canyons, and steep rocky cliffs surround Blue Mesa Reservoir, the second largest lake entirely in Colorado. The clear, blue, mou … |
| Lake Purgatory, CO (Colorado, Southwest Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
1906 | Also known as Columbine Lake, Purgatory Lake Set in the middle of a winter wonderland, Lake Purgatory is a private, alpine lake found in beautiful southwestern Colorado. Property owners and their … |
| Electra Lake, CO (Colorado, Southwest Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
1906 | Also known as Cascade Reservoir The majestic peaks of the San Juan Mountains stand guard over the breathtaking beauty of southwestern Colorado’s Electra Lake. Found 25 miles north of … |