Fury as mountain lake in stunning tourist hotspot VANISHES

A stunning lake in Colorado has been drained without warning, sparking outrage. 

Crystal Lake, which has become a popular spot among locals and tourists, is almost completely dry after the US Forest Service emptied the reservoir located just above Ouray in April.

Officials said cracks and signs of seepage had been discovered in the Full Moon Dam, leaving it at risk of failure which could be highly destructive or even fatal.

Dana Gardunio, Ouray District Ranger for the Forest Service, told The Colorado Sun: 'If the water were to rise (to) a certain level, that could wipe out some bridges, roads, potentially homes built within the floodplain.'

Draining the lake has raised concerns for Ouray because the city had an agreement with the US Forest Service to store water in the reservoir.

The water from Crystal Lake flows north into Red Mountain Creek to enter Ouray and Canyon Creek. 

For Ouray, having this water supply is important for population growth and the city's hot springs. 

Ouray Mayor Ethan Funk told DailyMail.com: 'It's a gorgeous place to just hike and hang out and take pictures. 

'It's frustrating and mysterious to me as to why the Forest Service reacted the way they did all of a sudden.

'I'm sure a lot of citizens are scratching their heads going "whoa!" Why did all this happen?'

Funk claimed that by draining the dam the Forest Service went 'against the agreement we had' and that the city is now faced with finding more water storage.  

A main concern of the Ouray community is the lack of communication when it came to making this decision, according to Funk. 

Funk and Ouray County Commissioner Lynn Padgett said they do not understand why there was not more transparency - especially if the dam posed a threat.

Padgett said to The Colorado Sun: 'Part of it is just understanding, is there really a health and safety issue that is imminent like a dam failure? Because for the county, of course we are concerned for public safety because we would be the first responders.

'If there is a public safety issue, why weren’t we notified prior to this?'

The lake was drained in April to relieve the pressure pushing on the compromised dam, according to the Ouray County Plaindealer. 

The original closure was scheduled to last until June 30, but complaints about it being empty were still being logged as recently as last week, some five months on. 

There is now only a small amount of water left at the bottom of the lake that could not be drained.

Speaking on why the issue has resurfaced again now, Funk said: 'I think it's because all the "leaf peepers" are showing up expecting to see the reservoir there and it's not.' 

In 2023, issues emerged when a 46-foot crack was spotted in the dam, which was last redone in 2012. Parts of the dam were first built in the 1800s.

The reservoir holds about 80 acre-feet of water and is eight feet deep. 

Environmentalist Tanya Ishikawa expressed concerns about the lake being drained because of the peat at its bottom now being directly exposed to the sun. Peat is is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, she told The Colorado Sun. 

Eric Gardunio from the Colorado Parks Department told DailyMail.com: 'From our perspective, we'd love to get that aquatic resource back.

'But we do understand the safety concerns associated with that infrastructure.' 

In previous years, over 22,000 Colorado River cutthroat trout filled Crystal Lake, which is now completely depleted of fish.  

As the future of the dam and Crystal Lake remains uncertain, people mourn the loss of an iconic attraction and have become suspicious about an ulterior motive.

In an April meeting about Crystal Lake, Linsey Blinder of the US Forest Department said 'our thought is to remove the dam' and 'the long-term plan would be to restore the area to natural wetlands.' 

According to an information request from Ouray County, converting the lake into wetlands was the most recently discussed course of action.  

Facebook user Irene Harp was just disappointed she did not get to see the gorgeous lake this year.

'I was all sad I didn't get to enjoy it this time around.'

Amanda Lynn Rich revealed that the lake holds sentimental value for her.

Rich commented: 'We got married on the shores of this incredible place in 2022. My husband and I were so sad to see it drained.'

Crystal lake is also seen as an accessible fishing location and a popular site for weddings, ceremonies and family gatherings. 

Yet after site inspection, no fish were found this year, according to Gardunio. 

Danielle Boutin, a Floridian who loves to visit the lake, told The Colorado Sun: 'I think it’s a really iconic spot and another hidden gem that’s in the Ouray area.

'I would hope that they could find a way to one day refill it, even if it takes a little while.' 

Funk told DailMail.com that he is confident that the beloved reservoir will be refilled one day. He said: 'We're gonna get that water storage back!' 

DailyMail.com has approached US Forest Service for comment.