Cottonwood #1 dam
Cottonwood #1
Cottonwood #1, located in Mesa County, Colorado, is a historic earth dam completed in 1894 for irrigation purposes along the Cottonwood Creek. With a height of 31 feet and a storage capacity of 2393 acre-feet, this dam plays a crucial role in water supply management in the region. It also serves for hydroelectric generation, recreation, and flood control, making it a multifunctional structure.
Despite its age, Cottonwood #1 has undergone modifications in 1960 and 2000 to enhance its hydraulic, mechanical, and structural features. The dam has a spillway width of 60 feet and is equipped with slide (sluice gate) outlet gates to manage water flow efficiently. While it has a hazard potential classified as high, the condition assessment in 2020 rated it as fair, indicating the need for ongoing monitoring and maintenance to ensure its safety and functionality for the community.
With its rich history and significant role in water resource management, Cottonwood #1 stands as a testament to the long-standing importance of dams in supporting agricultural and recreational activities while addressing the challenges of water supply and flood control in the region. As climate change continues to impact water resources, structures like Cottonwood #1 serve as vital infrastructure for sustainable water management and resilience against changing environmental 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 Cottonwood #1 -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Big Creek At Upper Station | 9 cfs | → |
| Surface Creek Near Cedaredge | 33 cfs | → |
| Surface Creek At Cedaredge | 37 cfs | → |
| Plateau Creek Near Cameo | 56 cfs | → |
| Colorado River Near Cameo | 3,170 cfs | → |
| Colo River Blw Grd Valley Div Nr Palisade Co | 1,740 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Cottonwood #1.
Boat launches
- Ward Lake Boat Access - Grand Valley Rd
- Lakeshore Drive Delta County
- Z Road Delta County
- State Highway 65 25261, Delta County
- Big Creek Reservoir Boat Launch Grand Valley Rd
- Forest Road 121 Mesa County
Campgrounds
- Cottonwood Lake Campground - Grand Valley Rd
- Collbran - Cottonwood Lake
- Carp Lake
- Cobbett Campground - Grand Valley Rd
- Ward Lake Campground - Grand Valley Rd
- Ward Lake
Fishing spots
- Cottonwood Lake #1 (Grand Mesa)
- Cottonwood Lake #4 (Grand Mesa)
- Neversweat Reservoir
- Hotel Twin Lake
- Alexander Lake
- Cobbett (Carp) Lake
Paddle runs
- Gunnison River Segment 2
- West Fork Terror Creek
- Roubideau Creek Segment 2
- Deep Creek
- The Painted Wall To The Black Canyon Gunnison National Monument-Gunnison Gorge Wilderness Boundary
- Roubideau Creek Segment 1
More reservoirs
Track Cottonwood #1 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 Cottonwood #1
Where does the data for Cottonwood #1 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 Cottonwood #1.