Milton Seaman dam
Milton Seaman
Milton Seaman is a vital water resource infrastructure located in Larimer, Colorado, specifically in the city of Laporte. Completed in 1948, this earth dam stands at a height of 115 feet and has a storage capacity of 7,900 acre-feet, primarily serving the purpose of water supply for irrigation and other uses. The dam is situated along the North Fork Cache La Poudre River, with a drainage area of 541 square miles and a maximum discharge capacity of 47,600 cubic feet per second.
Managed by the local government, Milton Seaman is regulated and permitted by the Colorado Division of Water Resources, ensuring its safe operation and maintenance. The dam has a spillway width of 130 feet and is categorized with a high hazard potential, yet its condition assessment as of September 2020 was deemed satisfactory. With a moderate risk rating of 3, the dam's emergency action plan and risk management measures are crucial in mitigating any potential hazards and ensuring the safety of nearby residents and infrastructure.
Overall, Milton Seaman serves as a critical water supply structure in Colorado, exemplifying the importance of efficient water resource management and climate resilience. With its strategic location and significant storage capacity, the dam plays a key role in supporting local agricultural and municipal water needs, while also being subject to rigorous regulatory oversight and maintenance to uphold its structural integrity and safety standards for the community it serves.
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 Milton Seaman -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Cache La Poudre R A Mo Of Cn | 417 cfs | → |
| North Fork Cache La Poudre R. At Livermore | 8 cfs | → |
| Cache La Poudre River At Fort Collins | 237 cfs | → |
| N Frk Cache La Poudre R Blw Halligan Res Nr V Dal | 1 cfs | → |
| Cache La Poudre R Ab Boxelder C | 226 cfs | → |
| Buckhorn Creek Near Masonville | 21 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Milton Seaman.
⚓ Boat launches
- Bridges River Access Point (Take-Out #2)
- Bridges River Access Point (Take-Out)
- Filter Plant River Access Point (Put-In)
- Bridges River Access Point (Put-In)
- Pineview River Access Point (Put-In, Take-Out)
- Boat Ramp Larimer County
⛺ Campgrounds
More campgrounds →🎣 Fishing spots
- Seaman Reservoir
- Watson Lake
- Douglas Reservoir
- North Shields Ponds
- Mcmurry Ponds
- Smith Lake (Lar. Cty.) (Boxelder #3)
🛶 Paddle runs
More paddle runs →Track Milton Seaman 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 Milton Seaman
Where does the data for Milton Seaman 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 High 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 Milton Seaman.