Delbert Jones dam
Delbert Jones
Delbert Jones, located in Wyoming's Big Horn County, is a privately owned Earth dam completed in 1962 for irrigation purposes on the Greybull River offstream. Standing at 18 feet high with a spillway width of 15 feet, this dam has a storage capacity of 166 acre-feet and a drainage area of 0.1 square miles. Despite its low hazard potential, the dam is currently assessed to be in poor condition, highlighting the need for maintenance and improvements to ensure its long-term functionality.
Owned by a private entity, Delbert Jones is regulated by the State of Wyoming with permitting, inspection, and enforcement responsibilities falling under the State Engineer's Office. The dam's primary purpose of irrigation serves the local agricultural community, relying on a valve outlet gate for water control. With Liz Cheney representing the region in Congress, the dam's location in Otto plays a crucial role in water resource management and climate resilience in the area. As a moderate risk facility, there is a need for proactive risk management measures to address the dam's condition and ensure the safety of downstream communities.
Despite its age and current condition assessment of poor, Delbert Jones remains a vital piece of infrastructure for irrigation and water storage in the region. With its historic significance dating back to 1962, the dam continues to provide essential water resources for agricultural activities along the Greybull River. As water resource and climate enthusiasts, attention to the maintenance and safety of Delbert Jones is crucial to ensuring a sustainable and resilient water management system in Big Horn County, Wyoming.
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 Delbert Jones -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Bighorn River At Basin | 1,590 cfs | → |
| Bighorn River At Kane | 2,120 cfs | → |
| Shell Creek Near Shell | 74 cfs | → |
| Shoshone River Near Lovell | 371 cfs | → |
| Bighorn R At Worland Wyo | 4,350 cfs | → |
| Greybull River At Meeteetse | 338 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Delbert Jones.
Boat launches
Campgrounds
- Lovell Camper Park
- Five Springs Falls Upper Campground
- Five Springs Falls Upper Campsite 4
- Five Springs Falls Upper Campsite 5
- Five Springs Falls Upper Campsite 6
- Five Springs Falls Upper Campsite 3
Fishing spots
- Big Horn Lake
- Tongue River Fishing West
- Tongue River Fishing East
- Sunshine Lake (Lower)
- Newton Lakes
- Tongue River Fishing Site
Paddle runs
- Trapper Creek
- Western Boundary Of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area To Confluence With Bighorn River
- White Creek
- Cottonwood Creek
More reservoirs
Track Delbert Jones 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 Delbert Jones
Where does the data for Delbert Jones 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 Delbert Jones.