Ducks Nest dam
Ducks Nest
Ducks Nest is a privately owned irrigation dam located in Dolores, Colorado, along the Willow Creek-TR. Built in 1917, this earth dam stands at 11 feet high and stretches 1200 feet in length, with a storage capacity of 140 acre-feet. The dam serves multiple purposes including irrigation, fire protection, stock, and small fish pond.
Despite its low hazard potential, Ducks Nest dam has been assessed as unsatisfactory in condition as of May 2006. The spillway is uncontrolled with a width of 40 feet, and the dam is equipped with a single slide (sluice gate) as an outlet gate. The dam's emergency action plan (EAP) status, risk management measures, and inundation maps remain unaddressed, posing a moderate risk level.
Water resource and climate enthusiasts in the region may find Ducks Nest to be a fascinating structure due to its historical significance and multiple usage functions. However, the dam's current condition and lack of updated emergency preparedness raise concerns about its long-term safety and sustainability, highlighting the importance of ongoing monitoring and maintenance efforts to protect both the dam and the surrounding community.
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 Ducks Nest -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Dolores River Near Slick Rock | 10 cfs | → |
| South Creek Above Reservoir Near Monticello | 0 cfs | → |
| Recapture Creek Near Blanding | · | → |
| Mcelmo Creek Near Colorado-Utah State Line | 1 cfs | → |
| Dolores River At Dolores | 554 cfs | → |
| Mcelmo Creek Above Trail Canyon Near Cortez | 20 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Ducks Nest.
Boat launches
- Mountain Sheep Point Rec Site
- Boat Ramp - Aggregate
- County Road S 16951, Dolores County
- Boat Ramp - Aggregate - 20' X 65'
- Colorado Street Montezuma County
Campgrounds
- Mountain Sheep Point Dispersed
- Box Elder Rec Site
- Site Road - Aggregate
- Snaggletooth Disperse Sites
- Bradfield
- Bradfield Campground
Fishing spots
- Monticello Lake Fishing Site
- Narraguinnep Reservoir
- Mcphee Reservoir
- Dry Wash Reservoir
- Miramonte Reservoir (Dan Noble Swa)
- Totten Lake
Track Ducks Nest 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 Ducks Nest
Where does the data for Ducks Nest 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 Ducks Nest.