Watershed work to limit reservoir access

Published on April 19, 2024

The Los Alamos Canyon Reservoir and the road leading to it will be closed starting Monday, April 22, through mid-June for watershed mitigation work on the damaged stream channel. The reservoir and road will be closed to hiking on weekdays until the work is complete, however they will open for foot traffic on weekends. Hikers should park at the Los Alamos County Ice Rink as parking is not allowed near the reservoir road.

The repair project is a collaboration among the Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities (DPU), Keystone Restorative Ecology and Natural Channel Design. Large equipment and dump trucks will be used to move materials along the roadway for use in the stream channel. The materials will be placed to slow down the velocity of runoff water without scouring away natural sediment.

Clay Moseley, deputy utility manager for DPU, said the project will ensure stabilization of the canyon’s watershed and public access to the reservoir for recreational purposes, as well as prevent the road from becoming a liability during particularly wet seasons.

The road and reservoir will open again for recreation daily after the project is complete in June.