Million Dollar dam
Million Dollar
Million Dollar, also known as Plum Creek Golf Course, is a privately owned dam located in Castle Rock, Colorado. Completed in 1984, this earth dam stands at a height of 10 feet and has a length of 1600 feet, providing recreational benefits in the form of a surface area of 6 acres and a storage capacity of 61 acre-feet. The dam, situated on the E. Plum Creek-OS river or stream, is under the regulatory jurisdiction of the Colorado Department of Water Resources, ensuring state-mandated inspections, permitting, and enforcement.
Despite being classified as having a significant hazard potential, Million Dollar Dam is rated as being in fair condition as of its last assessment in June 2019. With a moderate risk rating, the dam has an established emergency action plan and meets regulatory guidelines for risk management. The dam's spillway, an uncontrolled type with a width of 102 feet, is designed to handle a maximum discharge of 710 cubic feet per second, safeguarding downstream areas in the event of overflow. The dam is an essential part of the local recreational landscape, offering both leisure activities and water resource management in Douglas County, Colorado.
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 Million Dollar -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Cherry Creek Near Franktown | 3 cfs | → |
| East Plum Cr Blw Haskins Gulch Nr Castle Rock | 8 cfs | → |
| Plum Creek Near Sedalia | 16 cfs | → |
| Plum Creek At Titan Rd Nr Louviers | 7 cfs | → |
| Big Dry Creek Blw C-470 At Highlands Ranch | 1 cfs | → |
| South Platte River At Waterton | 35 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Million Dollar.
Boat launches
- Chatfield Lake North Boat Ramp
- Cherry Creek Park Road Centennial
- West Quincy Avenue Denver
- Fisherman's Trail Lakewood
- C-470 Trail Lakewood
Campgrounds
Fishing spots
- Bingham Lake-Pinery Reservoir
- Pinery Reservoir
- Salisbury Park
- Strortia Springs Reservoir
- Strontia Springs Reservoir
- Redstone Park Pond
Track Million Dollar 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 Million Dollar
Where does the data for Million Dollar 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 Significant 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 Million Dollar.