Doughty dam
Doughty
Doughty is a historic earth dam located in Hotchkiss, Delta County, Colorado, along the LEROUX CREEK-TR. Built in 1888 and standing at 27 feet tall with a length of 1225 feet, Doughty serves primarily for irrigation purposes and water supply. Managed by a private owner, the dam is regulated by the Colorado Department of Water Resources and undergoes regular inspections to ensure its structural integrity.
Despite its low hazard potential and satisfactory condition assessment, Doughty poses a high risk due to its age and the potential for failure. The dam lacks a spillway and has uncontrolled outlet gates, which may contribute to increased risk during heavy rainfall or flooding events. Emergency action plans are not up to date, raising concerns about the preparedness for any unforeseen emergencies.
Water resource and climate enthusiasts will find Doughty to be a fascinating case study in historic dam infrastructure, showcasing the challenges of maintaining aging structures for irrigation purposes in the face of evolving regulatory requirements and potential risks. The dam's location in a rural area of Colorado adds to its unique character and underscores the importance of proactive maintenance and monitoring to ensure the safety and reliability of our water resources.
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 Doughty -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Surface Creek Near Cedaredge | 35 cfs | → |
| E Fork Terror Cr Blw Cottonwood Stomp Nr Bowie | 0 cfs | → |
| Hubbard Creek Above Iron Point Gulch Nr Bowie | 6 cfs | → |
| Terror Creek At Mouth Near Bowie | 2 cfs | → |
| North Fork Gunnison River Below Paonia | 49 cfs | → |
| Hubbard Creek At Highway 133 At Mouth Nr Bowie | 3 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Doughty.
Boat launches
- Forest Road 125 Delta County
- Big Creek Reservoir Boat Launch Grand Valley Rd
- Forest Road 121 Mesa County
- Grand Avenue Delta County
- Lakeshore Drive Delta County
- Ward Lake Boat Access - Grand Valley Rd
Campgrounds
- Weir And Johnson
- Weir & Johnson Campground - Grand Valley Rd
- Twin Lake
- Twin Lake Dispersed Camping Area
- Big Creek
- Big Creek Campground - Grand Valley Rd
Fishing spots
Track Doughty 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 Doughty
Where does the data for Doughty 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 Doughty.