Love Ranch Evaporation Pond dam
Love Ranch Evaporation Pond
Located in Rio Blanco, Colorado, the Love Ranch Evaporation Pond is a private structure designed by Raj Prasad and Mustang Engineering L.P. The pond, completed in 2006, serves as an evaporation pond for the Piceance Creek, with a primary purpose of water management. With a low hazard potential and satisfactory condition assessment, the pond has a storage capacity of 58 acre-feet and covers a surface area of 4 acres.
Owned privately and regulated by the Colorado Department of Water Resources, the Love Ranch Evaporation Pond stands at 40 feet in height and 1150 feet in length, constructed primarily with earth and stone materials. This structure plays a crucial role in managing water resources in the region, especially in the context of climate change and changing precipitation patterns. With its strategic location and design, the Love Ranch Evaporation Pond is a vital asset in maintaining water balance and supporting the local ecosystem.
As climate enthusiasts and water resource managers closely monitor the impacts of climate change on water availability, structures like the Love Ranch Evaporation Pond become increasingly significant. With its capacity to manage water flow and evaporation rates, this pond plays a crucial role in ensuring sustainable water management practices in the face of changing environmental conditions. As efforts to adapt to climate change intensify, structures like the Love Ranch Evaporation Pond serve as key components in securing water resources for both human needs and ecological sustainability.
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 Love Ranch Evaporation Pond -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Piceance Creek Bl Ryan Gulch | 5 cfs | → |
| Corral Gulch Near Rangely | 0 cfs | → |
| Piceance Creek At White River | 3 cfs | → |
| White River Below Meeker | 621 cfs | → |
| White R Ab Crooked Wash Nr White River City | 1,510 cfs | → |
| Yellow Creek Near White River | 1 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Love Ranch Evaporation Pond.
Campgrounds
Fishing spots
- Rio Blanco Lake
- Kenney Reservoir
- Rifle Gap Reservoir
- Lake Avery
- Harvey Gap Reservoir
- Meadow Lake Picnic Area
Track Love Ranch Evaporation Pond 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 Love Ranch Evaporation Pond
Where does the data for Love Ranch Evaporation Pond 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 Love Ranch Evaporation Pond.