Upper Stonewall dam
Upper Stonewall
Located in Larimer, Colorado, Upper Stonewall is a privately owned dam on the North Fork Cache La Poudre River, serving primarily for irrigation purposes. Built in 1910, this Earth-type dam stands at a height of 10 feet with a length of 470 feet, providing a storage capacity of 65 acre-feet. With a low hazard potential but high risk assessment rating, Upper Stonewall has not been rated for its condition and lacks emergency action preparedness measures.
Despite being regulated by the state's Department of Water Resources (DWR) with permitting, inspection, and enforcement in place, Upper Stonewall's risk management measures and emergency response readiness are currently not documented. The dam's proximity to Fort Collins and its strategic location within the watershed highlights its importance in water resource management and climate resilience efforts. Enthusiasts and stakeholders in water resources and climate advocacy may find interest in monitoring the ongoing developments and enhancements needed for the safety and sustainability of Upper Stonewall.
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 Upper Stonewall -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| North Fork Cache La Poudre R. At Livermore | 6 cfs | → |
| N Frk Cache La Poudre R Blw Halligan Res Nr V Dal | 1 cfs | → |
| Cache La Poudre R A Mo Of Cn | 604 cfs | → |
| Cache La Poudre River At Fort Collins | 273 cfs | → |
| Cache La Poudre R Ab Boxelder C | 289 cfs | → |
| Buckhorn Creek Near Masonville | 20 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Upper Stonewall.
Boat launches
- Bridges River Access Point (Take-Out #2)
- Bridges River Access Point (Take-Out)
- Bridges River Access Point (Put-In)
- Pineview River Access Point (Put-In, Take-Out)
- Filter Plant River Access Point (Put-In)
- Dowdy Drive 2, Larimer County
Campgrounds
Fishing spots
- Seaman Reservoir
- Douglas Reservoir
- Smith Lake (Lar. Cty.) (Boxelder #3)
- Watson Lake
- Eggers Fishing Access
- Dowdy Lake
Paddle runs
- Lower North Fork
- Filter Plant
- Co Dow Anlger Access Trail To Nf Boundary On East Section Line, Sec 24, T11n, R72w
- Intermittent Stream To Junction With Co Division Of Wildlife Angler Access Trail In Sw 1/4 Sec 22, T11n, R72w
- Steven's Gulch To Bridges Take Out
More reservoirs
Track Upper Stonewall 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 Upper Stonewall
Where does the data for Upper Stonewall 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 Upper Stonewall.