Windsor dam
Windsor
Windsor, located in Weld County, Colorado, is home to the Big Windsor Dam on the Cache La Poudre River. This earth dam, completed in 1978, serves primarily for irrigation purposes, with a storage capacity of 21,100 acre-feet and a surface area of 842 acres. The dam stands at a height of 43 feet and has a spillway width of 150 feet, with a moderate hazard potential and a satisfactory condition assessment as of the last inspection in September 2020.
Managed by private owners, the Windsor Dam is regulated by the Colorado Department of Water Resources, with state permitting, inspection, and enforcement in place to ensure its safety and compliance. The dam plays a crucial role in supporting fish and wildlife habitats in addition to its irrigation function, highlighting its importance in local water resource management. With a high hazard potential due to its location and design, the dam's risk assessment is categorized as moderate, emphasizing the need for proper risk management measures and emergency preparedness.
Despite its age, the Big Windsor Dam continues to play a vital role in water management in the region, serving as a key structure on the Cache La Poudre River. As climate change impacts water resources and infrastructure, maintaining and monitoring dams like Windsor becomes increasingly important to ensure their continued functionality and safety for the surrounding communities and ecosystems. In the face of evolving environmental challenges, Windsor stands as a testament to the ongoing efforts to balance water resource utilization with conservation and risk management.
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 Windsor -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Cache La Poudre R Ab Boxelder C | 266 cfs | → |
| Cache La Poudre River At Fort Collins | 287 cfs | → |
| Big Thompson River At Mouth | 38 cfs | → |
| Cache La Poudre River Near Greeley | 36 cfs | → |
| Big Thompson River At Loveland | 80 cfs | → |
| Buckhorn Creek Near Masonville | 21 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Windsor.
Boat launches
- Boat Ramp Larimer County
- Filter Plant River Access Point (Put-In)
- Bridges River Access Point (Take-Out)
- Bridges River Access Point (Take-Out #2)
- Bridges River Access Point (Put-In)
- Pineview River Access Point (Put-In, Take-Out)
Campgrounds
- Missile Site Park
- Boyd Lake State Park
- South Bay - Horsetooth Reservoir
- Inlet Bay - Horsetooth Reservoir
- Flatiron Reservoir
- Carter Lake - North Side Campgrounds
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
More reservoirs
Track Windsor 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 Windsor
Where does the data for Windsor 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 Windsor.