Silver Dollar dam
Silver Dollar
Silver Dollar is a public utility dam located in Georgetown, Colorado, along the Clear Creek-TR river. This earth-type dam stands at a height of 35 feet with a length of 60 feet, providing a storage capacity of 400 acre-feet. The dam serves the primary purpose of water resource management and regulation, with a normal storage capacity of 116 acre-feet and a maximum discharge of 74 cubic feet per second.
Despite its fair condition assessment and low hazard potential, Silver Dollar is subject to moderate risk due to its location and design. The dam features an uncontrolled spillway with a width of 10 feet and has undergone inspections every 6 years, with the last assessment conducted in August 2020. The dam's risk management measures and emergency action plan status remain undisclosed, highlighting the importance of continued monitoring and maintenance to ensure the safety and reliability of this critical infrastructure in the face of changing climate conditions.
With its strategic position in the Sacramento District and state jurisdiction by the Colorado Department of Water Resources, Silver Dollar plays a crucial role in water resource management and climate resilience efforts in the region. As water resource and climate enthusiasts monitor developments and policies around this dam, ongoing maintenance and risk mitigation efforts will be essential to uphold the safety and integrity of Silver Dollar for the community and environment it serves.
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 Silver Dollar -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| South Clear Creek Abv Lower Cabin Creek Reservoir | 5 cfs | → |
| S Clear Cr Abv Lwr Cabin Cr Res Spilwy Nr Georgtwn | 2 cfs | → |
| Leavenworth Creek @ Mouth Nr Georgetown | 4 cfs | → |
| Snake River Near Montezuma | 64 cfs | → |
| Clear Creek Abv West Fork Clear Creek Nr Empire Co | 41 cfs | → |
| Keystone Gulch Near Dillon | 6 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Silver Dollar.
⚓ Boat launches
More boat launches →⛺ Campgrounds
- Guanella Pass Campground
- Guanella Pass
- Clear Lake
- Geneva Park
- Geneva Park Campground
- Burning Bear Campground
🎣 Fishing spots
More fishing →🛶 Paddle runs
- Lower Snake
- Silverthorne Town Run
- Breckenridge Whitewater Park (Town Run)
- Lower Ten Mile
- Upper Ten Mile
- Middle Ten Mile
🛡 More reservoirs
More reservoirs →Track Silver 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 Silver Dollar
Where does the data for Silver 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 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 Silver Dollar.