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.

Completed removals

Dam [1]	Height	Year removed	Location	Watercourse	Watershed	Notes
Mt Shavano Dam (Salida Lowhead Dam) [2]	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	Water diversion for fish hatchery. Owned by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
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		Recreation and fishing dams.
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		Irrigation dam.
Cucharas #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		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. [3] At the time, it was the third-largest dam ever to be removed in the United States. [4]
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	Hydropower dam owned by the City of Loveland.
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		Recreation dam owned by the Town of Estes Park.
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	Roller dam owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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		Mining hydropower dam.
Lake George Diversion Dam (Lower Eleven Mile Dam) [2]	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	Water supply dam owned by the U.S. Forest Service. Previously owned by Colorado Springs Utilities.
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)			Municipal water storage dam.
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		Irrigation and water supply dam.
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		Owned by Colorado Springs Utilities.
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		Water storage dam.
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		Irrigation and recreation dam owned by Jefferson County Open Space.
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
No Name #15 Dam	15 ft (4.6 m)
No Name #17 Dam	15 ft (4.6 m)
No Name #22 Dam	15 ft (4.6 m)
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. Rivers, American (13 February 2023). "American Rivers Dam Removal Database". Figshare . American Rivers. doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.5234068.v10 . Retrieved 25 August 2023.
2. Rivers, American (12 February 2024). "American Rivers Dam Removal Database". Figshare . American Rivers. doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.5234068.v11 . Retrieved 20 February 2024.
3. 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 9 October 2023.
4. East, Amy E.; Harrison, Lee R.; Smith, Douglas P.; Logan, Joshua B.; Bond, Rosealea M. (30 June 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.