Ryan dam
Ryan
Ryan is a privately owned dam located in Las Animas, Colorado, with a primary purpose of irrigation. Built in 1955 by the USDA NRCS, this earth dam stands at a height of 31 feet and stretches 379 feet in length. The dam has a storage capacity of 39 acre-feet, providing water for fish and wildlife ponds, as well as irrigation purposes.
Situated on the North Fork Vermejo River, Ryan Dam is regulated by the Colorado Department of Water Resources and is subject to state permitting, inspection, and enforcement. Despite being classified as having a low hazard potential, the dam is considered to have a high risk due to its condition not being rated and its last inspection dating back to 1992. The dam does not have a spillway, but is equipped with outlet gates and has a maximum discharge capacity of 733 cubic feet per second.
Ryan Dam is a crucial water resource in the region, serving the community of Vermejo Park and surrounding areas. With its historical significance dating back to the mid-20th century, efforts are needed to ensure the safety and proper maintenance of this vital infrastructure for sustainable water management and climate resilience in the area.
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 Ryan -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Costilla Creek Above Costilla Dam | 2 cfs | → |
| Casias Creek Near Costilla | 3 cfs | → |
| Santistevan Creek Near Costilla | 1 cfs | → |
| Costilla Creek Below Costilla Dam | 2 cfs | → |
| Culebra Creek At San Luis | 51 cfs | → |
| Costilla Creek Near Costilla | 6 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Ryan.
Campgrounds
- Little Costilla Camp
- Mccrystal Creek Camp
- Monument Lake Park
- Ash Mountain Camp
- Whiteman Vega
- Little Costilla Low Impact Camp
Fishing spots
- Monument Reservoir (Trinidad)
- Shuree Lakes Fishing
- North Lake
- Sanchez Reservoir
- Stabilization Reservoir
- Red River Fishing
Paddle runs
- Headwaters To Nf Boundary
- Headwaters To Costilla Creek
- Nf Boundary To Above Mccrystal Campground
- Headwaters To Comanche Point
- Nf Boundary To Nf Boundary
- Headwaters To Comanche Creek
More reservoirs
Track Ryan 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 Ryan
Where does the data for Ryan 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 Ryan.