C. C. Cragin Reservoir

[chumley]

Interesting article on AZCentral today about how Payson is finally going to get water from CC Cragin Reservoir (when exactly did it change it's name from Blue Ridge?).

In the meantime, it seems that SRP is taking water from the reservoir and releasing it into the East Verde at Washington Park, so that there's a regular flow that has more commonly been associated with spring runoff. This water is draining all the way down to Horseshoe and Bartlett lakes.

Payson will be building a new pipeline from Washington Park to a new water treatment plant somewhere near town, so it will be interesting to see how the pipeline/construction affects the area in the next few years.

It will also be interesting to see how the water levels on the reservoir are affected by the use of the water in higher quantities than recent years.

Recommended reading.
( 2018-08-28 dead link removed )

( 2018-08-28 damn smart thinking ahead - HAZ_Hikebot out! )
Edit: Added PDF since azc links expire within a couple of weeks.

[trekkin_gecko]

interesting article
the name change was news to me, too

[Nighthiker]

Forest Service calls it Blue Ridge, SRP calls it Cragin.

[chumley]

Seems like the name was officially changed in 2005 (at least according to the state/government). But FS among others just kept calling it Blue Ridge. Perhaps a Piestewa/Squaw type situation?

Mapquest and Google maps doesn't label it, and Bing labels it Blue Ridge. A Bing map search on Cragin Reservoir pinpoints you on BR, despite the BR label. A Google Map search of Cragin return no result. Mapquest Cragin and it drops the pin on the reservoir too.

Very strange.

[te_wa]

Piestewa

sorry, its donut day.

i have not seen anything about the name change since it all went down.. not on maps or signs?

[Alston_Neal]

Yeah I'm reading it this morning going where the heck is this place.
It was interesting how Phelps Dodge built this to exchange water with SRP in Morenci.
I predict this water will be used wisely in the making of more golf courses....

[Rockman]

Renaming
As part of the Arizona Water Settlement Act of 2004, the name of the dam and reservoir was changed to honor C. C. Cragin. As SRP's General Superintendant in the 1920s and 1930s, Cragin is remembered for his vision of using SRP's water management system to generate hydroelectric power. He was responsible for investigating potential sites on the Salt River that became Mormon Flat, Horse Mesa, and Stewart Mountain Dams.
Excerpt from: http://www.srpnet.com/water/dams/cragin.aspx

[azbackpackr]

I don't have anything against Cragin, but I prefer to keep it simple. "Blue Ridge Reservoir" is easy to remember, and has been its name for a long time.

[Espi]

Sorry to dig up and old thread...

I went kayaking on Blue Ridge over the weekend. While stopping to top off fuel in Pine the lady at the corner store asked where we were headed with the boats..

She went on about SRPs plans to completely drain Blue Ridge at the end of this summer for pipe repairs. While the repairs were going on... She mentioned that Game and Fish had plans to poison the water to get rid of the Northern Pike and other non native fish species.

After full again a stocking of native species and rainbows would be re introduced.

Has anyone heard anything like this? I have not been able to locate any information on the intarwebs. I would think that if true, this information would have to be put out well ahead of time.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Scott

[Alston_Neal]

Wow, sucks to be a Pike.
Interesting.....

[Espi]

I have no clue if this is actually happening and don't mean to spread rumors. I am just curious.

[chumley]

I can't confirm or deny, but I thought they let the water level drop last summer for pipeline repairs. It's only just recently filled up again with this winter's snowmelt.

I'd also be curious to know what the protocols are for that. On one hand it's on the National Forest, which seems to require years of EIS research before doing anything like killing fish, while on the other hand, it's a reservoir managed by a (private) public utility. I think they might be able to do almost anything they want to their lake without involving the bureaucracy of the NFS.

[Espi]

I have no doubt that the level changes drastically though out the season. We chatted with some folks that paddles by our camp. They mentioned that last time they were there the level was down 60 feet.

I had ready that about repairs last year as well.

[Boscoaz]

I'm not sure about the AZGFD plans for species control but the Payson Roundup had an article last week about the pipeline. The plans for this have been in the works for years.....

Here is a link to the article:

( 2018-08-28 dead link removed )

[Espi]

I'm not sure about the AZGFD plans for species control but the Payson Roundup had an article last week about the pipeline. The plans for this have been in the works for years.....

Here is a link to the article:

( 2018-08-28 dead link removed )

Thanks for that! It's much appreciated.

[Espi]

Here is a slightly outdated write up on some of the theory, processes, and concerns of clearing invasive species.

( 2018-08-28 dead link removed )

[azbackpackr]

That's interesting! Thanks for posting!

[Hippy]

"the name of the dam and reservoir was changed to honor C. C. Cragin. As SRP's General Superintendant in the 1920s and 1930s, Cragin is remembered for his vision of using SRP's water management..."


There should be a name change cut off time, if its been named one thing for over ten years....don't change.

[azbackpackr]

I am sure Cragin was a great guy, but Blue Ridge Reservoir is easier to remember.

I returned to my home town to find they have changed the name of my junior high school and also the Sierra Club Lodge in the Lagunas where I used to go with my parents when I was a kid. In both cases with the name changes, they stopped honoring one guy to start honoring another guy. Weird.

To me, always will be D.C. Collier Jr. High, and Guyman Lodge.

[Nighthiker]

I had already researched the name change a while back and it was authorized by congress when ownership of the lake was transferred from Arizona Public Service to Salt River Project and accepted and approved by the state board.