Hopkins dam
Hopkins
Hopkins is a private irrigation dam located in Garfield, Colorado, near Glenwood Springs. Built in 2020, the Earth dam stands at 20 feet in height and stretches 600 feet in length, providing a storage capacity of 145 acre-feet. The dam's primary purpose is irrigation, serving the surrounding agricultural lands. However, with a significant hazard potential and an unsatisfactory condition assessment from its last inspection in 2008, there are concerns about its safety and maintenance.
Owned and regulated by the Colorado Department of Water Resources (DWR), Hopkins is designed to withstand maximum discharges of up to 285 cubic feet per second, with an uncontrolled spillway width of 19 feet. The dam is equipped with one slide (sluice gate) outlet gate for water release. While the dam has not been modified in recent years, its risk assessment categorizes it as moderate, indicating a need for proactive risk management measures to ensure the safety of downstream communities and the surrounding environment.
Despite its age and condition assessment, Hopkins serves as a critical water resource for the region, highlighting the importance of ongoing inspections and maintenance to mitigate potential hazards. As climate change continues to impact water resources, ensuring the safety and reliability of structures like Hopkins is essential for sustainable water management in Colorado's dynamic hydrological landscape.
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 Hopkins -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Roaring Fork River At Glenwood Springs | 1,340 cfs | → |
| Colorado River Below Glenwood Springs | 3,130 cfs | → |
| Colorado River Near Dotsero | 1,210 cfs | → |
| Roaring Fork River Near Emma | 529 cfs | → |
| Eagle River Below Gypsum | 616 cfs | → |
| Crystal River Ab Avalanche C | 798 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Hopkins.
Boat launches
- Grizzly Creek Garfield County
- Dotsero Landing Boat Ramp
- I 70 Garfield County
- South Canyon Boat Ramp
- Lyon's Gulch Boat Ramp
- Community Boat Ramp
Campgrounds
- Coffee Pot Spring
- Upper Colorado Rec Area
- Lyons Gulch Dispersed
- Lyons Gulch Campground
- Lower Prince Creek Campground
- Thompson Creek Camp
Fishing spots
- Christine Lake
- Fryingpan River
- Gypsum Ponds
- Deep Lake Fishing/Picnic Area Fishing Site
- Harvey Gap Reservoir
- Sylvan Lake
Paddle runs
- Shoshone (Power Plant To Grizzly Creek)
- Shoshone Power Plant To Nf Boundary
- Barrel Springs
- Nf Boundary To East End Of Glenwood Canyon
More reservoirs
Track Hopkins 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 Hopkins
Where does the data for Hopkins 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 Significant 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 Hopkins.