Upper Van Tassell dam
Upper Van Tassell
Upper Van Tassell, also known as North Crow Reservoir, is a local government-owned dam located in Laramie, Wyoming, near the city of Cheyenne. Built in 1932, this earth dam stands at a height of 95 feet and serves the primary purpose of water supply, with a storage capacity of 3,816 acre-feet. The dam spans 680 feet in length and has a spillway width of 40 feet, allowing for a maximum discharge of 21,400 cubic feet per second from the North Crow Creek.
Despite being regulated by the Wyoming State Engineer's Office and regularly inspected, Upper Van Tassell poses a high hazard potential due to its location and the volume of water it holds. The dam's condition was assessed as fair during the last inspection in June 2017, with a moderate risk assessment rating of 3. Emergency action plans are in place, but updates to contact information and guidelines adherence are lacking. Water resource and climate enthusiasts can marvel at the engineering and management challenges involved in maintaining this critical water supply infrastructure in a region prone to extreme weather events.
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 Upper Van Tassell -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Laramie River At Laramie | 48 cfs | → |
| Crow Creek At 19th Street | 3 cfs | → |
| N Frk Cache La Poudre R Blw Halligan Res Nr V Dal | 1 cfs | → |
| Sand Creek At Colorado-Wyoming State Line | 3 cfs | → |
| Laramie River Near Bosler | 1,950 cfs | → |
| North Fork Cache La Poudre R. At Livermore | 10 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Upper Van Tassell.
Boat launches
- Albany County
- Herrick Lane Albany County
- Twin Buttes Reservoir Boat Launch
- Twin Buttes Reservoir Boat Ramp
Campgrounds
- Curt Gowdy State Park
- Pole Creek Dispersed Campground
- Yellow Pine
- Yellow Pine Campground
- Vedauwoo Campground
- Vedauwoo
Fishing spots
- Upper North Crow Reservoir
- Granite Springs Reservoir
- Lower North Crow Reservoir
- Leazenby Lake
- Lake Absarraca
- Sloans Lake
Paddle runs
- Co Dow Anlger Access Trail To Nf Boundary On East Section Line, Sec 24, T11n, R72w
- Upper North Fork
- Intermittent Stream To Junction With Co Division Of Wildlife Angler Access Trail In Sw 1/4 Sec 22, T11n, R72w
- Road West Of Creedmore Lakes To Junction Of Intermittent Stream In Sw 1/4, Sec 29, T11n, R72w
- Lower North Fork
- Pearl Creek To Junction Of Road West Of Creedmore Lakes In Sw 1/4 Sec 5, T10n, R73e
Track Upper Van Tassell 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 Upper Van Tassell
Where does the data for Upper Van Tassell 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 Upper Van Tassell.