Pala Dura dam
Pala Dura
Pala Dura is a privately owned earth dam located in Huerfano County, Colorado, serving multiple purposes including fire protection, stock watering, and small fish pond management. Completed in 1979, the dam stands at 20 feet high and stretches 300 feet in length, with a storage capacity of 73 acre-feet. Situated on Palo Duro Creek, this structure plays a crucial role in providing irrigation water to the surrounding area while also contributing to the local ecosystem.
Despite its low hazard potential, Pala Dura poses a high risk due to its outdated risk assessment rating of 2. With a lack of recent inspection data, the condition assessment remains unrated, raising concerns about the overall safety and stability of the dam. While the dam does not have a spillway, it is equipped with outlet gates and a spillway width of 7 feet to manage potential overflow. The Sacramento District of the US Army Corps of Engineers oversees this dam, ensuring that it meets regulatory standards and undergoes necessary inspections to prevent any potential disasters.
Water resource and climate enthusiasts will find Pala Dura to be an intriguing case study of a multi-purpose earth dam in Colorado. The dam's location on Palo Duro Creek, its storage capacity, and the associated risk factors make it a valuable subject for those interested in water management, conservation, and infrastructure resilience. As the dam continues to provide vital services to the local community, ongoing monitoring and maintenance efforts will be essential to ensure its long-term sustainability and safety in the face of 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 Pala Dura -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Huerfano R At Manzanares Xing | 18 cfs | → |
| Huerfano River At Badito | 14 cfs | → |
| Ute Creek Near Fort Garland | 12 cfs | → |
| Sangre De Cristo Creek Near Fort Garland | 2 cfs | → |
| Trinchera C Ab Mtn Home Re | 3 cfs | → |
| Trinchera C Ab Turners Ranch | 5 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Pala Dura.
Campgrounds
- Buck Creek Backcountry Campsite
- Pinyon Flats Campground
- Pinyon Flats - Sand Dunes National Monument
- Campsite 4.8
- Campsite 3.4
- Campsite 3.5
Fishing spots
- Manzanares Creek
- Daigre And Wahatoya Lake
- Wahatoya Lake Reservoir
- Mountain Home Reservoir
- Horseshoe Reservoir (Lathrop Sp)
- Lake Isabel
Track Pala Dura 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 Pala Dura
Where does the data for Pala Dura 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 Pala Dura.