Crews will begin work Monday on the dam at Lemon Reservoir, and the work will affect water release flows and access to the reservoir 16 miles northeast of Durango.

The Bureau of Reclamation announced Wednesday the dam’s high-pressure slide gates – which are used to regulate water releases – require maintenance.

While crews work to install a bulkhead in November, releases from Lemon Reservoir will be reduced to about 3 to 4 cubic feet per second, pumped over the crest of the dam. After that, and while crews continue work on the slide gates, flows into the Florida River will be regulated at 8 to 10 cubic feet per second. Lemon Dam will be closed to all traffic, including pedestrian use, during construction.

“The boat ramp and Miller Creek campground will have limited access while the barge and equipment are being delivered, assembled, then disassembled at the boat ramp during the first few weeks of November and also when the barge is reassembled, then disassembled and removed in January and February 2017,” a news release said.

“The Florida and Transfer Park campgrounds should not be affected, except for occasional short-term blocking of the main road if large trucks are turning around or delivering equipment.”

Once work is complete around mid winter, flows will be reduced again to 3 to 4 cubic feet per second to allow crews to remove the bulkhead. Then, flows out of Lemon Reservoir will resume to normal.

jromeo@durangoherald.com