South Gray dam
South Gray
South Gray, also known as Gray Lake #2, is a privately owned earth dam located in Larimer County, Colorado. Built in 1976 for irrigation purposes, this dam stands at a height of 24 feet and stretches 2676 feet in length, with a storage capacity of 1193 acre-feet. The dam's spillway is controlled and has a width of 101 feet, ensuring efficient water release during high flow events.
Managed by the Colorado Department of Water Resources, South Gray is subject to state regulation, inspection, and enforcement to ensure its structural integrity and safety. Despite being classified as having a low hazard potential, the dam's risk assessment is rated as very high, with a risk level of 1. The condition assessment in 2017 deemed the dam to be in satisfactory condition, with regular inspections occurring every 6 years to monitor its upkeep.
Located near the Boxelder Creek-Trail River, South Gray plays a crucial role in providing water for irrigation in the surrounding Windsor area. With its strategic design and operational measures in place, this dam serves as a vital resource for sustaining agricultural activities and managing water resources in the region.
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 South Gray -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Cache La Poudre R Ab Boxelder C | 272 cfs | → |
| Cache La Poudre River At Fort Collins | 287 cfs | → |
| Cache La Poudre R A Mo Of Cn | 499 cfs | → |
| Buckhorn Creek Near Masonville | 20 cfs | → |
| Big Thompson River At Loveland | 73 cfs | → |
| North Fork Cache La Poudre R. At Livermore | 5 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near South Gray.
Boat launches
- Boat Ramp Larimer 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)
- Pineview River Access Point (Put-In, Take-Out)
Campgrounds
- Inlet Bay - Horsetooth Reservoir
- South Bay - Horsetooth Reservoir
- Boyd Lake State Park
- Missile Site Park
- Ansel Watrous Campground
- Ansel Watrous
Fishing spots
- Riverbend Ponds
- Kingfisher Point Ponds
- Greenbriar Park Lake
- Prospect Ponds (Fc)
- Timnath Reservoir
- Stew Case Park Pond
Paddle runs
Track South Gray 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 South Gray
Where does the data for South Gray 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 South Gray.