Cheney dam
Cheney
Cheney is a privately owned dam located in Mesa, Colorado, along the King Creek river. Completed in 1908, this earth dam stands at a height of 30 feet and has a storage capacity of 210 acre-feet, primarily used for irrigation purposes. The dam is regulated by the Colorado State Division of Water Resources, ensuring its proper maintenance and inspection to meet state standards.
Despite being categorized as having a low hazard potential and fair condition assessment, Cheney poses a high risk due to its location and potential impact in case of a failure. The dam lacks a spillway, with uncontrolled outlet gates, which may increase the risk of flooding downstream. Regular inspections are conducted, with the last assessment in May 2019, to monitor its safety and structural integrity.
Water resource and climate enthusiasts should pay attention to Cheney as it plays a crucial role in water supply and irrigation in the area. Understanding the risk factors associated with this dam and ensuring proper maintenance and emergency preparedness are essential steps to mitigate potential hazards and safeguard the surrounding community and environment from the impacts of a dam failure.
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 Cheney -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Gunnison River Near Grand Junction | 999 cfs | → |
| Colo River Blw Grd Valley Div Nr Palisade Co | 2,000 cfs | → |
| Gunnison River At Delta | 691 cfs | → |
| Uncompahgre River At Delta | 133 cfs | → |
| Plateau Creek Near Cameo | 29 cfs | → |
| Surface Creek At Cedaredge | 26 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Cheney.
Boat launches
- State Highway 141 Mesa County
- Whitewater Boat Launch
- Escalante Canyon Road Delta County
- Escalante Boat Launch
- Corn Lake Boat Ramp
- Redlands Dam River Access
Campgrounds
- Unaweep Rim Camp 1
- Escalante Potholes Rec Site
- Big Dominguez
- Big Dominguez Campground
- Dominguez Campground
- Black Bear Cabin
Fishing spots
- Juniata Reservoir
- Porter Reservoir #4 (Little Davies)
- Porter Reservoir #1
- Corn Lake
- Carson Lake
- Lewis Wash
Paddle runs
- Gunnison River Segment 2
- Roubideau Creek Segment 2
- Monitor Creek
- Potter Creek
- Cottonwood Creek
- Roubideau Creek Segment 1
More reservoirs
Track Cheney 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 Cheney
Where does the data for Cheney 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 Cheney.