List of dam removals in Colorado

This is a list of dams in Colorado that have been removed as physical impediments to free-flowing rivers or streams.

Removals by watershed

Arkansas River

In 2019 the Cucharas Number 5 Dam was removed from the Cucharas River, a tributary of the Huerfano River, itself a tributary of the Arkansas River. This 1910 irrigation dam experienced structural problems throughout its life, including a partial failure in 1987 which resulted in the emergency dynamiting of a spillway. Reconstruction of the dam was proposed in the 2010s but was deemed economically infeasible. Following years of litigation, the State Engineer took emergency control of the dam in 2017 for safety reasons. The state removed it in 2019, recovering the cost in court from the dam's owners. ^[1] At the time, it was the third-largest dam ever to be removed in the United States. ^[2]

Completed removals

Dam [3]	Height	Year removed	Location	Watercourse	Watershed
Mt Shavano Dam (Salida Lowhead Dam) [4]	15 ft (4.6 m)	2023	Chaffee County 38°33′06″N106°01′48″W / 38.5518°N 106.0301°W / 38.5518; -106.0301 (Mt Shavano Dam (Salida Lowhead Dam))	Arkansas River	Arkansas River
Riss East	56 ft (17 m)	2016	Teller County 38°46′59″N105°13′34″W / 38.783°N 105.226°W / 38.783; -105.226 (Riss East)	Tributary to Barnard Creek
Riss North	38 ft (12 m)	2016	Teller County 38°47′31″N105°13′59″W / 38.792°N 105.233°W / 38.792; -105.233 (Riss North)
Riss South	50 ft (15 m)	2016	Teller County 38°47′06″N105°14′20″W / 38.785°N 105.239°W / 38.785; -105.239 (Riss South)
Dotson and Enlargement Dam	24 ft (7.3 m)	2015	Pueblo County 38°07′41″N104°11′49″W / 38.128°N 104.197°W / 38.128; -104.197 (Dotson and Enlargement Dam)	Huerfano River
Cucharas Number 5 Dam	135 ft (41 m)	2019	Huerfano County 37°45′N104°36′W / 37.75°N 104.6°W / 37.75; -104.6 (Cucharas #5 Dam)	Cucharas River
Idylwilde Dam	57 ft (17 m)	2013	Larimer County 40°25′44″N105°18′43″W / 40.4288°N 105.312°W / 40.4288; -105.312 (Idylwilde Dam)	Big Thompson River	Big Thompson River
Carriage Hills #2 Dam	10 ft (3.0 m)	2017	Estes Park 40°21′N105°30′W / 40.35°N 105.5°W / 40.35; -105.5 (Carriage Hills #2 Dam)	Fish Creek
Glacier #1 Dam	11 ft (3.4 m)	1985	Rocky Mountain National Park 40°30′18″N105°35′49″W / 40.505°N 105.597°W / 40.505; -105.597 (Glacier #1 Dam)	North Fork Big Thompson River
Chipeta Dam	5 ft (1.5 m)	2006	Hotchkiss 38°47′04″N107°44′38″W / 38.7845°N 107.7439°W / 38.7845; -107.7439 (Chipeta Dam)	North Fork Gunnison River	Gunnison River
Hidden Treasure Dam		2019	Lake City 38°01′16″N107°22′44″W / 38.021°N 107.3788°W / 38.021; -107.3788 (Hidden Treasure Dam)	Henson Creek
Lake George Diversion Dam (Lower Eleven Mile Dam) [4]	25 ft (7.6 m)	2023	Park County 38°58′05″N105°22′01″W / 38.9681°N 105.367°W / 38.9681; -105.367 (Lake George Diversion Dam (Lower Eleven Mile Dam))	South Platte River	South Platte River
Pear Lake Dam	28 ft (8.5 m)	1988	Allenspark 40°10′37″N105°37′24″W / 40.177°N 105.6233°W / 40.177; -105.6233 (Pear Lake Dam)	Cony Creek
Dewey No. 1	15 ft (4.6 m)	2014	Denver 39°48′01″N104°59′17″W / 39.8004°N 104.988°W / 39.8004; -104.988 (Dewey No. 1)
Lower Church Lake Dam	4 ft (1.2 m)	2015	Fort Lupton 39°53′20″N105°10′44″W / 39.889°N 105.179°W / 39.889; -105.179 (Lower Church Lake Dam)	Big Dry Creek
Stanley Canyon Dam	30 ft (9.1 m)	2018	El Paso County 38°59′N104°56′W / 38.99°N 104.93°W / 38.99; -104.93 (Stanley Canyon Dam)	Stanley Canyon Creek
Unnamed Dam #1 (Lamborn #1)	20 ft (6.1 m)	2002	Fort Morgan 40°22′00″N103°56′06″W / 40.3668°N 103.935°W / 40.3668; -103.935 (Unnamed Dam #1 (Lamborn #1))	Tributary to South Platte River
Unnamed Dam #2		2002		Tributary to South Platte River
Josh Ames Diversion Dam	6 ft (1.8 m)	2013	Fort Collins 40°36′18″N105°06′00″W / 40.6051°N 105.1°W / 40.6051; -105.1 (Josh Ames Diversion Dam)	Cache la Poudre River
Bluebird Dam	56 ft (17 m)	1990	Rocky Mountain National Park 40°11′33″N105°39′09″W / 40.1926°N 105.6526°W / 40.1926; -105.6526 (Bluebird Dam)	Ouzel Creek
Sand Beach Dam	25 ft (7.6 m)	1988	Allenspark 40°13′02″N105°36′07″W / 40.2171°N 105.602°W / 40.2171; -105.602 (Sand Beach Dam)	Sand Beach Creek
Hall Dam	40 ft (12 m)	2017	Jefferson County 39°46′N105°14′W / 39.76°N 105.24°W / 39.76; -105.24 (Hall Dam)	Clear Creek
Polaris Dam	22 ft (6.7 m)	2018	Glenwood Springs 39°29′N107°04′W / 39.49°N 107.06°W / 39.49; -107.06 (Polaris Dam)	Tributary to Cattle Creek
Toby Wells Pond Dam	16 ft (4.9 m)	1989
No Name #21 Dam		1990
No Name #8 Dam	12 ft (3.7 m)	1990

References

1. Perry, Mark; McCormick, Bill; Bennington, Paul; Lopez, Phillip. "The Cucharas #5 Dam Removal; a Story of Determination, Persistence and Partners" (PDF). Dam Safety 2020 Abstracts. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
2. East, Amy E.; Harrison, Lee R.; Smith, Douglas P.; Logan, Joshua B.; Bond, Rosealea M. (June 30, 2023). "Six years of fluvial response to a large dam removal on the Carmel River, California, USA". Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. 48 (8): 1487–1501. doi: 10.1002/esp.5561 . ISSN   0197-9337.
3. Rivers, American (February 13, 2023). "American Rivers Dam Removal Database". Figshare . American Rivers. doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.5234068.v10 . Retrieved August 25, 2023.
4. Rivers, American (February 12, 2024). "American Rivers Dam Removal Database". Figshare . American Rivers. doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.5234068.v11 . Retrieved February 20, 2024.