Taylor Park Dam

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Taylor Park Dam
Taylor Dam.jpg
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Location of Taylor Park Dam in Colorado
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Taylor Park Dam (the United States)
Country United States
Location Almont, Colorado
Coordinates 38°49′07″N106°36′20″W / 38.818645°N 106.605642°W / 38.818645; -106.605642
Purpose Irrigation
StatusComplete
Construction began1935 (1935)
Opening date1937
Built byBureau of Reclamation [1]
Operator(s)Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association
Dam and spillways
Type of dam Earth fill dam
Impounds Taylor River
Height206.8 ft (63.0 m) [1]
Width (crest)675 ft (206 m) [1]
Dam volume1,115,000 cu yd (852,000 m3) [1]
Spillways 1
Spillway type Weir crest
Spillway length180 ft (55 m) [1]
Spillway capacity10,000 cu ft/s (280 m3/s) at 9,336 ft (2,846 m) [1]
Spillway  volumetric flow rate 1,500 cu ft/s (42 m3/s) at 9,330 ft (2,840 m) [1]
Reservoir
CreatesTaylor Park Reservoir
Total capacity106,200 ft/acre (80,000 m/ha) [1]
Inactive capacity9,183 ft/acre (6,916 m/ha)
Maximum water depth160 ft (49 m)
Normal elevation9,336 ft (2,846 m)
Power Station
Operator(s)Gunnison County Electric Association
Commission dateSeptember 20, 2024
Type Run-of-the-river
Turbines 1
Installed capacity .5 MW
Annual generation 3.8 million kilowatt-hours
Website
Taylor Park Dam

Part of the Uncompahgre Project located on the western slope of central Colorado, the Taylor Park Dam was engineered by the Bureau of Reclamation. It is located on the Taylor River, a tributary of the Gunnison River, and the dam is used to create the Taylor Park Reservoir in Gunnison County, Colorado. The dam has National Inventory of Dams ID number CO00151. [2]

Contents

Hydroelectric retrofitting

In September 2024, electric cooperative Gunnison County Electric Association commissioned a 500-kilowatt hydro plant at the dam. Called the Taylor River Hydro Project, the plant's single turbine will operate day and night, all year long, without stopping. The plant is expected to produce 3.8 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. [3] In 2025, it is the largest known single-phase power generator operating in North America. [4]

Climate

Climate data for Taylor Dam, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1940–present
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °F (°C)54
(12)		52
(11)		61
(16)		67
(19)		79
(26)		85
(29)		86
(30)		84
(29)		79
(26)		75
(24)		65
(18)		57
(14)		86
(30)
Mean maximum °F (°C)39
(4)		44
(7)		51
(11)		59
(15)		69
(21)		78
(26)		79
(26)		77
(25)		73
(23)		64
(18)		52
(11)		41
(5)		80
(27)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)27.5
(−2.5)		32.3
(0.2)		39.3
(4.1)		46.5
(8.1)		56.5
(13.6)		68.3
(20.2)		72.0
(22.2)		69.7
(20.9)		63.8
(17.7)		52.7
(11.5)		38.9
(3.8)		27.3
(−2.6)		49.6
(9.8)
Daily mean °F (°C)8.7
(−12.9)		12.8
(−10.7)		21.0
(−6.1)		31.6
(−0.2)		41.7
(5.4)		51.7
(10.9)		56.9
(13.8)		55.0
(12.8)		48.6
(9.2)		38.6
(3.7)		25.3
(−3.7)		11.3
(−11.5)		33.6
(0.9)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)−10.0
(−23.3)		−6.8
(−21.6)		1.6
(−16.9)		16.7
(−8.5)		27.5
(−2.5)		35.0
(1.7)		41.7
(5.4)		40.4
(4.7)		33.4
(0.8)		24.3
(−4.3)		11.9
(−11.2)		−4.7
(−20.4)		17.6
(−8.0)
Mean minimum °F (°C)−35
(−37)		−33
(−36)		−25
(−32)		−4
(−20)		15
(−9)		28
(−2)		35
(2)		33
(1)		24
(−4)		10
(−12)		−9
(−23)		−31
(−35)		−39
(−39)
Record low °F (°C)−56
(−49)		−60
(−51)		−42
(−41)		−29
(−34)		−5
(−21)		15
(−9)		20
(−7)		17
(−8)		4
(−16)		−7
(−22)		−30
(−34)		−49
(−45)		−60
(−51)
Average precipitation inches (mm)1.55
(39)		1.51
(38)		1.36
(35)		1.56
(40)		1.51
(38)		1.00
(25)		2.02
(51)		2.01
(51)		1.65
(42)		1.42
(36)		1.46
(37)		1.55
(39)		18.6
(471)
Average snowfall inches (cm)31.2
(79)		16.5
(42)		16.8
(43)		10.8
(27)		2.5
(6.4)		0.1
(0.25)		0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		0.3
(0.76)		2.9
(7.4)		13.1
(33)		22.0
(56)		116.2
(294.81)
Average extreme snow depth inches (cm)21
(53)		26
(66)		25
(64)		12
(30)		1
(2.5)		0
(0)		0
(0)		0
(0)		0
(0)		0
(0)		3
(7.6)		11
(28)		28
(71)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)9898761010768896
Source: NOAA [5]

Taylor Park Reservoir

The Taylor Park Reservoir is a body of water created by the 1937 Taylor Park Dam, which dams the Taylor River of Colorado, United States. The dam and reservoir, located about 35 miles (56 km) northeast of Gunnison, are part of the Uncompahgre Project in Colorado. Recreation management at the reservoir is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service and offers camping and fishing. Available fish species in the reservoir include rainbow, brown, and cutthroat trout, mackinaw, kokanee, northern pike, and brook trout in the tributaries. The summit of Cottonwood Pass lies a few miles east of the reservoir and can be accessed via Gunnison County Road 209 during the summer months.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 United States Bureau of Reclamation (n.d.). "Taylor Park Dam" . Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Taylor Park". National Inventory of Dams. United States Army. May 24, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  3. ↑ Walker, Kendra (September 18, 2024). "A new era of power: Taylor River Hydropower Plant ready to electrify the Gunnison Valley". Crested Butte News. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Taylor River Hydro Project". Gunnison County Electric Association, Inc. 2021-05-03. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
  5. ↑ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station:". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 1, 2023.

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