Crowner dam
Crowner
Crowner is a privately owned irrigation dam located in Routt County, Colorado, specifically in Yampa along Crowner Creek. Built in 1904, this earth dam stands at 18 feet in height and stretches 328 feet in length, with a storage capacity of 77 acre-feet. Despite being state-regulated and inspected, the dam's condition remains unassessed as of the last inspection in 1997. With a low hazard potential but high risk assessment, there is a need for further evaluation and potentially the implementation of risk management measures to ensure the safety and efficiency of this water resource.
The primary purpose of Crowner Dam is for irrigation, serving the surrounding agricultural lands with water from its reservoir. With a drainage area of 2 square miles and a maximum discharge capacity of 96 cubic feet per second, this dam plays a crucial role in water management in the area. While lacking a spillway, Crowner Dam's presence highlights the importance of maintaining infrastructure for sustainable water resource utilization and climate resilience in the face of increasing variability and extreme weather events.
As a key component of the water infrastructure in the region, Crowner Dam's significance lies in its historical importance and ongoing role in supporting agricultural activities. With the potential for increased risk due to its age and lack of recent condition assessments, there is a pressing need for proactive management and monitoring to ensure the continued safe operation of this vital water resource in the face of changing climate conditions.
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 Crowner -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Yampa River Above Stagecoach Reservoir | 6 cfs | → |
| Yampa River Below Stagecoach Reservoir | 16 cfs | → |
| Colorado River Near Kremmling | 227 cfs | → |
| Walton Creek Near Steamboat Springs | 372 cfs | → |
| Muddy Crk Blw Wolford Mtn Reser. Nr Kremmling | 20 cfs | → |
| Muddy Creek Above Antelope Creek Nr. Kremmling | 73 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Crowner.
Boat launches
- Uncompahgre Road Routt County
- Catamount Bridge Boat Ramp
- Two Bridges Boat Ramp
- Radium Rec Site Boat Ramp
- Pinball Access Boat Ramp
- State Bridge Boat Ramp
Campgrounds
- Cell Tower
- Lynx Pass
- Lynx Pass Campground
- Bear River Developed Camp Sites
- Rock Creek Recreation Area
- Stifel Creek Camp
Fishing spots
- Yamcolo Reservoir
- Crosho Lake
- Stagecoach Reservoir
- Bear Lake Fishing Pier
- Trappers Lake
- Lake Of The Woods
Paddle runs
- South Section Line Sec 34, T1n, R83w To Confluence With Decker Creek
- Burns To Dotsero
- State Bridge To Two Bridges
- Pumphouse
- Colorado River Segment 5
- Colorado River Segment 6
More reservoirs
Track Crowner 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 Crowner
Where does the data for Crowner 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 Crowner.