Heeney, Colorado

A Brief History of Heeney

Heeney is an unincorporated Summit County community beside Green Mountain Reservoir. Its modern landscape reflects the Colorado–Big Thompson Project: construction began at Green Mountain Dam in November 1938, creating a West Slope water-storage facility within the larger transmountain system. The reservoir also brought a lasting challenge for the lakeside settlement. Summit County records that a rapid lowering of the water in 1963 triggered a landslide that destroyed several Heeney homes. That event connected the community’s history to reservoir management and slope stability, concerns that continue to influence planning around the lake.