2016 Map of Juniata Reservoir

About this map

Juniata Reservoir and the adjacent Hallenbeck Reservoir serve as the centerpiece of this 2016 survey, illustrating the complex irrigation and water storage network required for the high-altitude agriculture of western Colorado. The landscape is defined by the broad, flat-topped formations of Purdy Mesa and Reeder Mesa, where early ranching infrastructure is still visible through the labyrinth of named waterways such as the Lander Extension Ditch and the Brown and Campion Ditch. To the east, the terrain rises into the edge of the Grand Mesa National Forest, where the topography becomes more varied. This area showcases the critical engineering of the early 20th century that diverted mountain runoff from Kannah Cr and Indian Cr to sustain the orchards and ranches of the valley floor, a system that remains vital to the region's geography.