Humphreys - Spillway Dam dam
Humphreys - Spillway Dam
Humphreys - Spillway Dam, also known as Lake Humphreys, is a private-owned structure located in Mineral County, Colorado. Completed in 1926, this concrete gravity dam stands at a height of 26 feet and spans 148 feet in length, with a multi-arch core foundation on rock. Its primary purpose is for fish and wildlife conservation, with additional recreational benefits. The dam has a storage capacity of 1,062 acre-feet and a normal storage level of 842 acre-feet, covering a surface area of 44 acres.
Situated on Goose Creek in South Fork, Colorado, Humphreys - Spillway Dam is regulated and inspected by the Colorado Division of Water Resources. The dam features an uncontrolled spillway with a width of 70 feet, allowing for a maximum discharge rate of 3,225 cubic feet per second. Despite its high hazard potential, the dam's condition is assessed as satisfactory as of the last inspection in July 2020. While there have been no modifications in recent years, the risk assessment for the dam is moderate, highlighting the importance of ongoing risk management measures to ensure its safety and functionality for the surrounding area.
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 Humphreys - Spillway Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Goose Creek At Wagonwheel Gap | 105 cfs | → |
| Rio Grande At Wagon Wheel Gap | 819 cfs | → |
| South Fork Rio Grande At South Fork | 474 cfs | → |
| Rio Grande Near Del Norte | 1,440 cfs | → |
| East Fork San Juan River Nr Pagosa Springs | -888 cfs | → |
| Rio Grande At Thirtymile Bridge | 510 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Humphreys - Spillway Dam.
Boat launches
- Alberta Lake Fishing Site
- Cr 10 Hinsdale County
- Rito Hondo Reservoir Boating Site
- Cr 11 Hinsdale County
- Platoro Reservoir Boating Site
Campgrounds
- Palisade - South Fork
- Palisade Campground
- Wheeler Baisin Site 3
- Wheeler Basin Site 2
- Ivy Creek Campground
- Ivy Creek
Fishing spots
- Shaw Lake
- Love Lake Picnic Site
- Big Meadows Reservoir
- Million Reservoir Fishing Site
- Pass Creek Lake Fishing Site
- Beaver Creek Reservoir
Paddle runs
- Sec 30, T41n, R2e To Sec 11, T40n, R2e
- Sec 10, T42n, R1e To Sec 13, T41n, R1e
- Headwaters (Sec 21, T38n, R1e) To 1/4 Mile Above Big Meadows Reservoir
- Below Big Meadows Reservoir Dam To Sec 9 And 10, T39n, R3e
- Below Rio Grande Reservoir (Sec 13, T40n, R4w) To Spring Creek (Sec 31, T41n, R2w)
- East Fork--Unnamed Ponds Approx 1/4 Mile Below Continental Divide To Weminuche Wilderness Boundary
Track Humphreys - Spillway Dam 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 Humphreys - Spillway Dam
Where does the data for Humphreys - Spillway Dam 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 Humphreys - Spillway Dam.