Great Plains Region 2013 Photo Contest Gallery

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Great Plains Region 2013 Photo Contest

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2013 Winners

First Place Winner. Olympus Dam, located in Estes Park, Colo., normally utilizes one of the 5 spillway radial gates to make releases to the Big Thompson River. Photo by Jeff Ticknor.

Second Place Winner. Cemetery Island at right, on Canyon Ferry Reservoir, Mont., viewed from the north. The Canyon Ferry Shoreline Stabilization project installed an interwoven system of riprap, bank protection structure logs, soil and plantings on two sides of Cemetery Island as well as at Cave Point. Photo by Gary Valasek.

Third Place Winner. A rare, no wind day at Seminoe Dam. Photo by Michael Mangum.

Photo Submissions

Sherburne Reservoir looking into Glacier Park. Photo by Patrick Erger.

Sherburne Reservoir Outlet Tower. Photo by Patrick Erger.

Ready for a night of camping at Flatiron Reservoir. Photo by Laura Harger.

Seminoe Dam in the morning as the wild fires start up again. Photo by Brian Brameier.

May wildflowers at Mountain Park Project. Photo by Kate Ellison.

May wildflowers on hiking trail at the Mountain Park Project. Photo by Kate Ellison.

Wildflowers among the rocks at the Mountain Park Project. Photo by Kate Ellison.

Hiking/biking trail in May at Mountain Park Lake. Photo by Kate Ellison.

River canyon below the Sun River Diversion Dam. Photo by Sean Keeney.

Bald Eagle looking for dinner from a WAPA power pole outside the Pierre Field Office. Photo by Theodore (Ted) L. Hall.

CAT Excavator being lifted onto to the roof of Shoshone Power Plant. The roof consists of 5 to 6 feet of earth and rocks over a concrete slab over steel trusses. The excavator was used to dig several test pits to determine the actual depth of the material as well as to determine the type of material used to coat the concrete slab. Photo by Mark Skoric.

CAT Excavator being lifted onto to the roof of Shoshone Power Plant. The roof consists of 5 to 6 feet of earth and rocks over a concrete slab over steel trusses. The excavator was used to dig several test pits to determine the actual depth of the material as well as to determine the type of material used to coat the concrete slab. Photo by Mark Skoric.

Sailboats on Alcova Reservoir. Photo by Harold Morrow.

OTAO Facility Operations staff completing an Annual Site Inspection on Mountain Park Dam. Photo by Darion Mayhorn.

Wheelchair accessible fishing pier on Reclamation managed land at the Miracle Mile, North Platte River. Photo by Harold Morrow.

Sandy Beach, Alcova Reservoir. Photo by Harold Morrow.

Kayaking at sunset down the North Platte River towards Casper, Wyo. Photo by Darren Crisp.

Below Tiber Dam (Chester, Mont.) on the Marias River. Photo by Michael Hilliard.

Alligator checking out Reclamation staff at Calliham Boat Ramp. Photo by Bob Blasing.

Alligator checking out Reclamation staff at Calliham Boat Ramp. Photo by Bob Blasing.

View of geological uplift bluffs across Alcova Reservoir looking East at sunset. Photo by Harold Morrow.

Pishkun Reservoir near Choteau, Mont. Photo by Clark Larsen.

A mother duck with her three ducklings, taking a rest from swimming in the outlet works stilling basin at Jamestown Dam. Photo by Ken Lake.

Whitetail doe that has been hanging around Jamestown Dam. Photo by Ken Lake.

Miracle Mile section of the North Platte River. Photo by Harold Morrow.

Fremont Canyon Bridge at the entrance to the Fremont Canyon Power Plant, Glendo Unit-P-SMBP. Photo by Harrold Morrow.

Mt. Elbert Forebay on the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project with its namesake, Colorado's highest peak, in the background. Photo by Kara Lamb.

Looking across Alcova Reservoir as the sun begins to set. Photo by Harold Morrow.

The Three Lakes Collection System includes Granby (top right) and Shadow Mountain reservoirs as well as Grand Lake, Colorado's largest and deepest natural lake. Photo by Kara Lamb.

Lake Estes and Olympus Dam, located in the middle of Estes Park, Colo. The Continental Divide marches across the background and the Estes Power Plant is located on the reservoir's most western shore. Photo by Kara Lamb.

Ruedi Dam on the Fryingpan River boasts one of Colorado's most scenic reservoirs, a FERC power plant, and a Gold-Medal Fishery downstream. Photo by Kara Lamb.

Kortes Dam Spillway in operation, Kortes Unit, P-SMBP. Photo by Harold Morrow.

Carter Lake Dam 1 during early phases of construction on the Bob Trout LOPP power plant. Photo by Andrew Pernick.

Rocky Ford Cantaloupes grown with Fryingpan-Arkansas Project water. Photo by Andrew Pernick.

Fly fishermen fishing the Tailwater of Gray Reef Dam on the North Platte River, Glendo Unit, P-SMBP. Photo by Harold Morrow.

Mt. Elbert Power Plant, the largest hydro-electric power plant in Colo. Photo by Andrew Pernick.

Outflow from Gray Reef Dam, re-regulation of North Platte River/Alcova Powerplant output. Photo by Harold Morrow.

Guernsey Reservoir, Sitting Bull Day Use Area Shelter. Photo by Harold Morrow.

Museum at Guernsey Reservoir built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Photo by Harold Morrow.

Civilian Conservation Corps. observation tower at CCC Castle day use picnic shelter at Guernsey Reservoir. Photo by Harold Morrow.

Overview of Civilian Conservation Corps. Castle Picnic Shelter at Guernsey State Park, Guernsey Reservoir. Photo by Harold Morrow.

Civilian Conservation Corps. mock lighthouse at Lake Minatare, North Platte Project, Lake Minatare State Recreation Area. Photo by Harold Morrow.

Civilian Conservation Corps. lighthouse detail. Photo by Harold Morrow.

Sunrise over Bureau of Reclamation headquarters. Photo by Edward E. Tucker.

Civilian Conservation Corps. Scouts Cabin recreation group picnic site built in 1936 at Lake Minatare, Neb., North Platte Project, Lake Minatare State Recreation Area. Photo by Harold Morrow.

Winter sno-cat operations at Green Mountain. Lannis Miller and Guy Nelson coming down the mountain after performing maintenance at the Blue Ridge communications site with Green Mountain Reservoir and the Gore Range in the background. Photo by Chuck Young.

Brown Trout caught on a Rapala lure on the North Platte River below Pathfinder Dam. Photo by Harold Morrow.

Looking southwest towards the mouth of Beaverhead Canyon, Mont. Photo by Cody Clark.

Petroglyphs near Bull Lake, Wyo. Photo by Cody Clark.

Beaverhead Canyon, view is towards Clark Canyon Reservoir. Photo by Cody Clark.

View of Yellowtail Dam from the Visitor's Center. Photo by Christopher Murray.

Spring flow induced by Bighorn Lake. Photo by Christopher Murray.

Looking up the face of Yellowtail Dam. Photo by Christopher Murray.

Snake Creek Pumping Plant after demolition of Brick Walls and removal of some of the steel superstructure. Remaining steel superstructure is being stripped and re-coated under the enclosure. Photo by James E. Thornburg.

Snake Creek Pumping Plant, Lake Sakakawea, North Dakota, during modification to above deck structures. Tent is for stripping and re-coating of structural steel of the Gate Service Room. Photo by James E. Thornburg.

Lake Granby in the foreground collects runoff on the west slope of the Rocky Mountains and the Farr Pumping Plant lifts the water where it flows through a series of tunnels, reservoirs, and power plants – eventually ending up in municipal, industrial, and agricultural distributions systems on the east slope of the Rocky Mountains. Photo by Jeff Ticknor.

Shoreline of Lake Granby, with Indian Peaks Wilderness in the background. Photo by Jeff Ticknor.

Green Mountain Dam provides storage of supplemental flow to the Colorado River to replace water diverted to the east slope by the CBT Project. Photo by Jeff Ticknor.

Reclamation personnel (from left to right) Dave Tordonato, Jeff Ticknor, and Dan Liechty examine concrete just beyond the reach of Yellowtail's advancing afternoon shadow. Photo by Patrick Fischer.

Cody Clark (GPRO) collects material samples for an upcoming safety of dams modification, Nelson Reservoir and Dike DA are in the background. Photo by Jeff Ticknor.

Dave Tordonato (TSC) and Patrick Fischer (GPRO) inspect the downstream side of Yellowtail Dam. Photo by Jeff Ticknor.

Looking downstream from within the Gibson Dam Spillway Tunnel, Sun River Project, Mont. Photo by Sean Keeney.

Inspecting the Flatiron Penstocks surge tank for seepage at the end of the Bald Mountain Tunnel. Looking east over Flatiron Res., ECAO, Flatiron Power Plant, and Loveland, Colo. Photo by Adam Northrup.

Matt Gappa (GPRO), Eric Schlosser (TSC), Scott Fraizer and Stan Core (Pueblo FO) overlook the new cone jet valve for the Southern Delivery System. Photo by Adam Northrup.

Jeff Ticknor and Patrick Fischer of GPRO perform a rope inspection of the Granby spillway. Photo by Adam Northrup.

Looking west toward Mt. Elbert, from the crest of Mt. Elbert Dam. Photo by Adam Northrup.

Mni Wiconi Rural Water Supply System Core Line installed adjacent to the Pass Creek Basin. Photo by Terry Kvislen.

'Look Mom, nothing but air'. Wildlife at Estes Power Plant. Photo by Otis Canard.

The grass is greener on the other side of the parapet wall at Estes Power plant. Photo by Otis Canard.

The Shining - a view of the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colo. Photo by Otis Canard.

Patrick Fischer inspecting the intake gates of the Lower Yellowstone Diversion. Photo by Joe Rohde.

Yellowstone River flowing over the Lower Yellowstone Diversion Dam. Photo by Joe Rohde.

Shoshone Powerplant in the Shoshone Canyon, Wyo. Photo by Joe Rohde.

Sunset over the Rosebud Indian Reservation during the 2013 Periodic Security Review. Photo by Joe Rohde.

Willow Creek Dam outlet works stilling basin, located downstream is a Parshall flume used to measure flow. Photo by Sean Keeney.

Sunset on the Huntley Project, Mont. Photo by Noreen K. Click.

Upper Hanover Flume Bridge across the Big Horn River, Wyo. Photo by Noreen K. Click.

An unsolicited survey crew helper traverses the upstream face of Lake Sherburne Dam, just outside Glacier National Park. Fortunately, at the time, we were above him on the walkway from the dam crest to the intake structure. Photo by Charles L. Hardes.

Armstead Island in Clark Canyon Reservoir with the snow covered Tendoy Mountains in the background. The photo was taken from the Camp Fortunate Overlook (Lewis and Clark Expedition, August 1805). Photo by Charles L. Hardes.

Bighorn Reservoir and Ok-A-Beh Marina in the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, just upstream from Yellowtail Dam. Photo by Charles L. Hardes.

Sunrise on the Sawtooth Range looking over Pishkun Dikes Reservoir at Dike 4. Photo by Charles L. Hardes.

A sno-cat used for grooming the road from Sugar Loaf Dam on Turquoise Lake to Hagerman Pass Comm. Site. Maintenance work done in tandem with the State of Colorado Comm Site crew. Photo by Ronald Matthews.

This is after three passes with sno-cats grooming. This is a nice easy portion of the road to traverse. We traveled from Sugar Loaf Dam on Turquoise Lake to Hagerman Pass Comm Site for maintenance work in tandem with the State of Colorado Comm Site crew. Photo by Ronald Matthews.

Great Plains Drill Crew conducting exploratory operations with assistance from NKAO maintenance crew at the Enders Dam Outlet Works. Photo by Bernie McClellen.

Superstructure of Snake Creek Pumping Plant, Lake Sakakawea, North Dakota, under reconstruction. Photo by James E Thornburg.

Collared Lizard near Lugert Dike, photographed on June 5, during Constructability Review for the Altus Dam Modifications. Photo by Larry Schoessler.

The interior of the right drum gate of the South Spillway at Guernsey Dam during rehabilitation under the Glendo Dam Modification contract. Photo by Larry Schoessler.

North Platte River Channel downstream of Glendo Dam, as seen from the service spillway bridge. Photo by Larry Schoessler.

North Platte River channel, looking upstream from Glendo Power plant. Photo by Larry Schoessler.

Background view of Clark Canyon Reservoir, with the concrete guard post for center line dam axis survey monument RP-8 in the foreground. This ridge line original monument is about 6,500 feet northwesterly of the dam and about 780 feet above the crest. Photo by Charles L. Hardes.

Reconstructing the Red Willow Dam. Photo by Bernie McClellen.

Reconstructing the Red Willow Dam in Nebraska. Photo by Bernie McClellen.

GP, NKAO, and Neb. Dept. of Roads inspecting the Enders Dam Spillway Bridge. Photo by Bernie McClellen.

NKAO maintenance crew re-installing security fence after a spillway bridge inspection. Photo by Bernie McClellen.

A pelican soars over Canyon Ferry Reservoir near Silos Campground. Photo by Taryn Preston.

An osprey enjoys a fish lunch near Goose Bay at Canyon Ferry Reservoir. Photo by Taryn Preston.

A red-tailed hawk surveying Confederate Campground at Canyon Ferry Reservoir. Photo by Taryn Preston.

A barge used to haul materials over to Cemetery Island at Canyon Ferry Reservoir for shoreline stabilization. Photo by Taryn Preston.

A shoreline stabilization project on Cemetery Island at Canyon Ferry Reservoir. Photo by Taryn Preston.

Montana's state flower, the bitterroot, growing on top of a hill overlooking Goose Bay Campground at Canyon Ferry Reservoir. Photo by Taryn Preston.

Enjoying a day of ice fishing on Canyon Ferry Reservoir near Silos Campground. Photo by Taryn Preston.

Reclamation employees returning from trash cleanup at Mahogany Cove Campground on Canyon Ferry Reservoir. Photo by Taryn Preston.

A young mule deer near Hellgate Campground at Canyon Ferry Reservoir. Photo by Taryn Preston.

Two mule deer near Hellgate Campground at Canyon Ferry Reservoir. Photo by Taryn Preston.

Members of the Mont. Conservation Corps work with Reclamation staff to repair boundary fence along West Shore Drive at Canyon Ferry Reservoir. Photo by Taryn Preston.

Mont. Fish, Wildlife and Parks team up with the Mont. Department of Natural Resources to place Christmas trees in Canyon Ferry Reservoir near Silos Campground to create habitat for perch. Photo by Taryn Preston.

Sunrise at the Canyon Ferry Field Office. Photo by Taryn Preston.

Sunrise at the Canyon Ferry Field Office. Photo by Taryn Preston.

View of the Big Belt Mountains and Canyon Ferry Reservoir from Lorelei Day Use Area. Photo by Taryn Preston.

Inspection of Choke Canyon Dam Stilling Basin. L-R, Adam Milligan, OTAO, Norman Kuenstler, Supervisor-Choke Canyon Dam, Darion Mayhorn, OTAO, and Anna Hoag, OTAO. Photo by Thomas Michalewicz.

The Yellowtail Afterbay supports a variety of wildlife and vegetation. There is an abundance of choke cherries, as well as wild plum trees. This draws a handful of black bears down from the Bighorn mountains every summer. My wife and I live in the Yellowtail government camp housing, which is less than a mile from the afterbay. On a sunny Saturday morning we were treated with a visit by these triplet cubs in our backyard. Their mother showed up shortly after they did, and convinced them that it was time to move along. Photo by Mike Hale.

Panorama of Buffalo Bill Dam. Photo by Sean Erickson.

Grandpa, tell me about the Good Old Days... Photo by Sean Erickson.

Mt. Elbert Power plant's twin lakes and forebay. Photo by Richard Gillespie.

Last Updated: 8/13/15