Beaver Park dam
Beaver Park
Beaver Park, located in South Fork, Colorado, is a state-regulated recreational area built around Beaver Creek. This picturesque park features a rockfill dam standing at 114 feet tall, completed in 1912, which creates a reservoir with a normal storage capacity of 4,746 acre-feet. The dam serves multiple purposes including fish and wildlife habitat, irrigation, and of course, recreation, making it a valuable asset for water resource and climate enthusiasts.
With a surface area of 130 acres and a drainage area of 47 square miles, Beaver Park offers a serene environment for outdoor activities such as fishing, boating, and hiking. The dam's spillway, though uncontrolled, is 160 feet wide, ensuring safe water release during high discharge events. Despite its high hazard potential, the dam's condition is assessed as fair, with regular inspections and maintenance conducted to ensure public safety and continued enjoyment of the park.
Visitors to Beaver Park can marvel at the engineering feat of the rockfill dam, appreciate the critical role it plays in water management for the region, and experience the beauty of the surrounding landscape. With a rich history dating back over a century, this recreational haven continues to be a popular destination for both locals and tourists seeking a peaceful escape in the heart of Colorado's Rio Grande County.
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 Beaver Park -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| South Fork Rio Grande At South Fork | 599 cfs | → |
| Pinos Creek Near Del Norte | 39 cfs | → |
| Wightman Fork Bel Cropsy Creek At Summitville | 14 cfs | → |
| Rio Grande Near Del Norte | 1,890 cfs | → |
| Goose Creek At Wagonwheel Gap | 131 cfs | → |
| Rio Grande At Wagon Wheel Gap | 1,290 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Beaver Park.
Campgrounds
- Upper Beaver Creek Campground
- Upper Beaver Creek
- Cross Creek
- Lower Beaver Creek Campground
- Lower Beaver Creek
- Highway Springs
Fishing spots
- Beaver Creek Reservoir
- Million Reservoir Fishing Site
- Poage Lake Fishing Site
- Shaw Lake
- Pass Creek Lake Fishing Site
- Big Meadows Reservoir
Paddle runs
- Below Big Meadows Reservoir Dam To Sec 9 And 10, T39n, R3e
- Sec 30, T41n, R2e To Sec 11, T40n, R2e
- Headwaters (Sec 21, T38n, R1e) To 1/4 Mile Above Big Meadows Reservoir
- Sec 10, T42n, R1e To Sec 13, T41n, R1e
- El Rito Azul--Blue Lake (Sec 26, T35n, R3e) And Portion Of Conejos Above Platoro Reservoir To Upper Reach Of Platoro Reservoir--Sec 6, T35n, R4e
- Middle Fork--Sec 13, T35n, R2e To Confluence Of Three Forks--Sec 14, T35n, R3e
Track Beaver Park 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 Beaver Park
Where does the data for Beaver Park 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 Beaver Park.