South Suburban dam
South Suburban
South Suburban, also known as Mesa, is a local government-owned dam located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This earth dam was designed by H.I. REID and completed in 1932 with a primary purpose of water supply. The dam stands at 55 feet high with a hydraulic height of 42 feet, providing a storage capacity of 303 acre-feet and a normal storage of 231 acre-feet.
Situated on North Cheyenne Creek, South Suburban is regulated by the Colorado Division of Water Resources and undergoes regular inspections to ensure its structural integrity. With a high hazard potential and satisfactory condition assessment, the dam poses a moderate risk, prompting the need for risk management measures to be implemented. In case of emergencies, an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is in place, last revised in December 2020, to guide response and evacuation protocols.
South Suburban serves as a critical water resource infrastructure in El Paso County, Colorado, supporting the community's water supply needs. With its strategic location and historical significance, the dam plays a vital role in water management and conservation efforts in the region, highlighting the importance of sustainable water resource practices for climate resilience and environmental sustainability.
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 South Suburban -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Cheyenne Creek At Evans Ave At Colorado Springs | 1 cfs | → |
| Bear Creek Near Colorado Springs | 1 cfs | → |
| Fountain Creek At Colorado Springs | 41 cfs | → |
| Monument Cr At Bijou St. | 35 cfs | → |
| Fountain Cr Bl Janitell Rd Bl Colo. Springs | 58 cfs | → |
| Fountain Creek Near Colorado Springs | 12 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near South Suburban.
Campgrounds
- Cheyenne Mountain State Park
- Wye
- Skagware Reservoir Dispersed Camping
- Turkey Creek Military - Fort Carson
- Thunder Ridge Campground
- Thunder Ridge
Fishing spots
- Quail Lake
- Prospect Lake (Colorado Springs)
- Rosemont Reservoir
- Pikeview Reservoir
- Mcreynolds Reservoir
- Mason Reservoir
Paddle runs
More reservoirs
Track South Suburban 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 South Suburban
Where does the data for South Suburban 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 South Suburban.