De France dam
De France
De France Reservoir, located in Weld County, Colorado, is a privately owned earth dam structure built in 1883 primarily for irrigation purposes. The reservoir has a storage capacity of 350 acre-feet, with a normal storage level of 260 acre-feet and a surface area of 25 acres. Situated along the Little Thompson River, the dam stands at a height of 15 feet and stretches for 960 feet in length.
Managed by the Colorado Department of Water Resources, De France Reservoir is subject to state regulatory oversight, including permitting, inspection, and enforcement measures to ensure its safety and compliance with regulations. Despite being classified as having a low hazard potential and a satisfactory condition assessment, the reservoir is considered to have moderate risk (rated 3 out of 5) based on a risk assessment conducted.
The surrounding area benefits from the reservoir for irrigation, fire protection, stock watering, and small fish pond purposes. The dam's uncontrolled spillway with a width of 10 feet can handle a maximum discharge of 450 cubic feet per second. With its historical significance dating back over a century, De France Reservoir remains an important water resource in the region for both agricultural and recreational activities.
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 De France -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Big Thompson River At Loveland | 73 cfs | → |
| St. Vrain Creek At Mouth | 103 cfs | → |
| St Vrain Cr Blw Boulder Cr At Hwy 119 Nr Longmont | 71 cfs | → |
| St. Vrain Creek Below Longmont | -999,999 cfs | → |
| Big Thompson River At Mouth | 38 cfs | → |
| Buckhorn Creek Near Masonville | 20 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near De France.
Boat launches
- Boat Ramp Larimer County
- Lagerman Trail Boulder County
- Filter Plant River Access Point (Put-In)
- Bridges River Access Point (Take-Out)
- Bridges River Access Point (Take-Out #2)
- Bridges River Access Point (Put-In)
Campgrounds
- Camden State Park Campground
- Twin Lakes Park Campground
- Garvin Cp - Upper Campground
- Garvin Cp- Lower Campground
- Sundquist Park At West Lake Sarah
- Swift Lake Park
Fishing spots
- Johnstown Reservoir
- Simpson Ponds Swa
- Roberts Lake
- Big Thompson Ponds
- River`S Edge And Jayhawker Ponds
- Lonetree Reservoir
Track De France 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 De France
Where does the data for De France 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 De France.