Fontenelle Reservoir, Water storage on the Green River in Wyoming

Fontenelle Reservoir is a storage reservoir on the Green River in southwestern Wyoming, held back by Fontenelle Dam, whose east end and a small part of the water lie in Sweetwater County. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation built it for the Colorado River Storage Project to keep Wyoming water in the state and to generate power.

The dam was completed in 1964, backing up the Green River to form the reservoir. Within a year, a seepage problem on the western side forced engineers to drain the water and carry out repairs, with further reinforcement work following in later decades.

The reservoir's land was the Stepp Ranch, held since around 1900 by one of Wyoming's few Black ranching families; the Stepps fought the taking of their land in court but lost. Today anglers come for brown, cutthroat and rainbow trout, and boat ramps and campgrounds line the shore.

The reservoir lies along Highway 189 in a remote part of Wyoming, so bring supplies. Fontenelle Creek Campground has basic facilities near the water, and simpler sites below the dam suit those who prefer open surroundings. Chronic leakage at the dam led to the reservoir being emptied in 1965 and 1986, so check current conditions before launching a boat.

Launching a boat here costs nothing, which is rare for a reservoir of this size in the American West. Just below the dam, the Green River flows through the Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge, where bald eagles and deer are commonly seen along the banks.