Gray's Creek dam
Gray's Creek
Gray's Creek, also known as O'Haver Lake, is a picturesque water resource located in Chaffee County, Colorado. This local government-owned dam was designed by Charles H Mitchell and the USDA NRCS, with a primary purpose of providing recreation opportunities for the community. Completed in 1948, this earth dam stands at a height of 26 feet with a structural height of 28 feet, creating a reservoir with a normal storage capacity of 193 acre-feet and a maximum storage of 268 acre-feet.
Situated along Gray Creek-OS in Poncha Springs, Gray's Creek offers a serene setting for fishing and wildlife observation. The dam boasts an uncontrolled spillway with a width of 40 feet, ensuring the safe release of excess water during peak discharges. Despite its low hazard potential, the dam's fair condition assessment and moderate risk assessment suggest the need for ongoing monitoring and maintenance to uphold its structural integrity and safety standards.
With its historical significance and recreational value, Gray's Creek serves as a vital water resource for the surrounding community. As climate change continues to impact water availability and quality, the preservation and proper management of dams like Gray's Creek are essential for ensuring sustainable water resources for future generations of water resource and climate enthusiasts.
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 Gray's Creek -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas River At Salida | 233 cfs | → |
| Arkansas River Near Wellsville | 261 cfs | → |
| Kerber Cr Abv Little Kerber Cr Nr Villa Grove | 9 cfs | → |
| Tomichi Creek At Sargents | 39 cfs | → |
| Arkansas River Near Nathrop | 271 cfs | → |
| Saguache Creek Near Saguache | 34 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Gray's Creek.
Boat launches
- Ahra - Big Bend Rec Site
- Ahra - Salida East Rec Site
- Road 191 Chaffee County
- Ahra - Stone Bridge Rec Site
- Ahra - Point Bar Rec Site
- Ahra - Rincon Rec Site
Campgrounds
- O'Haver Lake Campground
- Ohaver Lake
- Alder Creek Campsites
- Brewery Creek Guard Station Cabin
- Monarch Park Campground
- Monarch Park
Fishing spots
- O`Haver Lake
- Frantz Lake Swa
- Riverside Ponds (Mt. Ouray Swa)
- Sands Lake Swa
- Baldwin Lake
- Chalk Lake Fishing Site
Paddle runs
- Pass Creek
- Salida Town Run (Stone Bridge To Salida Ww Park)
- Arkansas River Segment 3
- Salida Whitewater Park
- Salida To Rincon
- Browns Canyon (Fisherman's Bridge To Stone Bridge)
More reservoirs
Track Gray's Creek 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 Gray's Creek
Where does the data for Gray's Creek 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 Gray's Creek.