Cathedral Park Dam dam
Cathedral Park Dam
Cathedral Park Dam, also known as Bear Trap Lake, is a privately owned structure located in Teller County, Colorado. Situated in the city of Pueblo, this dam on Bison Creek serves primarily for recreation purposes, including fish and wildlife pond activities. With a dam height of 10 feet and a structural height of 19 feet, it provides a storage capacity of 145 acre-feet and covers a surface area of 5 acres.
Managed by the Colorado Department of Water Resources (DWR), Cathedral Park Dam has been deemed to have a low hazard potential and a fair condition assessment. The dam features an uncontrolled spillway with a width of 12 feet and can discharge up to 850 cubic feet per second. Despite its moderate risk rating, the dam has not undergone any significant modifications in recent years and is subject to regular inspections every six months to ensure its continued safety and functionality.
With its picturesque setting and importance for local recreational activities, Cathedral Park Dam stands as a vital water resource within the region. Maintaining its structural integrity and operational efficiency remains a top priority for all stakeholders involved in the management and oversight of this essential infrastructure.
Dam data reference
Condition Assessment
- Satisfactory
- No existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. Acceptable performance is expected under all loading conditions (static, hydrologic, seismic) in accordance with the minimum applicable state or federal regulatory criteria or tolerable risk guidelines.
- Fair
- No existing dam safety deficiencies are recognized for normal operating conditions. Rare or extreme hydrologic and/or seismic events may result in a dam safety deficiency. Risk may be in the range to take further action.
- Poor
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized for normal operating conditions which may realistically occur. Remedial action is necessary. POOR may also be used when uncertainties exist as to critical analysis parameters which identify a potential dam safety deficiency.
- Unsatisfactory
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized that requires immediate or emergency remedial action for problem resolution.
- Not Rated
- The dam has not been inspected, is not under state or federal jurisdiction, or has been inspected but, for whatever reason, has not been rated.
Hazard Potential Classification
- High
- Dams assigned the high hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation will probably cause loss of human life.
- Significant
- Dams assigned the significant hazard potential classification are those dams where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life but can cause economic loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline facilities, or impact other concerns. Significant hazard potential classification dams are often located in predominantly rural or agricultural areas but could be in areas with population and significant infrastructure.
- Low
- Dams assigned the low hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life and low economic and/or environmental losses. Losses are principally limited to the owner's property.
- Undetermined
- Dams for which a downstream hazard potential has not been designated or is not provided.
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Cathedral Park Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Cheyenne Creek At Evans Ave At Colorado Springs | 1 cfs | → |
| Rock Creek Above Fort Carson Reservation | 0 cfs | → |
| Bear Creek Near Colorado Springs | 1 cfs | → |
| Turkey Creek Near Fountain Colo | 2 cfs | → |
| Beaver Cr Abv Upper Beaver Cemetery Nr Penrose | 5 cfs | → |
| Fourmile Creek Below Cripple Creek Near Victor | 6 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Cathedral Park Dam.
Boat launches
- Skagway Road Teller County
- Ahra - Parkdale Rec Site
- Forest Road 96.I Park County
- Thirtynine Mile Road Park County
- Ahra - Spikebuck Rec Site
Campgrounds
- Skagware Reservoir Dispersed Camping
- Wye
- The Crags
- Crags Campground
- Turkey Creek Military - Fort Carson
- Cheyenne Mountain State Park
Fishing spots
- Skaguay Reservoir
- Rosemont Reservoir
- Mcreynolds Reservoir
- Mason Reservoir
- Quail Lake
- Crystal Creek Reservoir
Paddle runs
More reservoirs
Track Cathedral Park Dam in the Snoflo app
Save this dam as a favorite and get the local NOAA / yr.no forecast plus regional flow context wherever you are.
About Cathedral Park Dam
Where does the data for Cathedral Park Dam come from?
Structural and regulatory data come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' National Inventory of Dams (NID). Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
NID structural data refreshes annually as the Corps publishes updated assessments. The weather forecast refreshes throughout the day.
What does the Low hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this dam, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of Cathedral Park Dam.