Dams in Mesa County, Colorado

126Total Dams
27High Hazard
30Significant

Dam Safety in Mesa County, Colorado

Mesa County has 126 dams tracked in the National Inventory of Dams. Of these, 27 are classified as high hazard — meaning failure would probably cause loss of human life. Another 30 carry a significant hazard classification. Currently, 9 dams have a condition assessment of poor or unsatisfactory.

The average dam in Mesa County is 87 years old. The most common purpose is irrigation. The tallest dam is Vega Dam at 162 ft.

DamHazardConditionHeight (ft)PurposeYear
Vega DamHighNot Available162Irrigation1959
Jerry Creek #2HighSatisfactory150Water Supply1978
Palisade CabinHighFair113Water Supply1956
JuniataHighSatisfactory110Water Supply1979
Upper HighlineHighSatisfactory98Recreation1967
Indian Wash Det.HighFair80Flood Risk Reduction1965
Jerry Creek #1HighSatisfactory57Water Supply1964
HogchuteHighFair56Water Supply1947
Somerville-mccullahHighFair46Irrigation1972
Hallenbeck #1HighSatisfactory43Water Supply1970
Jerry Creek Dike 1HighSatisfactory40Water Supply1978
Leach Creek Detention BasinHighFair39Flood Risk Reduction2015
Bonham-wellsHighFair38Irrigation1900
Hallenbeck #2HighFair36Water Supply1943
Parker Basin #3HighFair36Irrigation1899
Y T RanchHighUnsatisfactory35Recreation1911
Big Creek #3HighFair35Irrigation1893
Bull Creek #4HighFair32Irrigation1901
Cottonwood #1HighFair31Irrigation1894
Leon LakeHighUnsatisfactory30Irrigation1898
Flowing ParkHighFair27Water Supply1973
Bosley Wash Detention BasinHighSatisfactory26Flood Risk Reduction2019
Cottonwood #5HighFair24Irrigation1909
Big Creek #1HighSatisfactory23Irrigation1893
Cottonwood #4HighSatisfactory22Irrigation1896
KitsonHighFair20Irrigation1911
Coon Creek #1HighFair19Irrigation1900
Fruita #2SignificantUnsatisfactory60Water Supply1959
Gobbo #3SignificantFair57Irrigation1973
Craig #2SignificantFair55Irrigation1960
Fruita #1SignificantFair50Water Supply1949
Gobbo #1SignificantFair44Irrigation1973
Currier #2SignificantFair44Irrigation1968
Craig #1SignificantFair38Irrigation1951
Big BeaverSignificantFair37Irrigation1947
AlsburySignificantFair36Irrigation1996
Anderson #2SignificantFair35Water Supply1974
Monument #1SignificantFair35Irrigation1960
Deep Creek #2SignificantFair31Irrigation1906
Gardner LakeSignificantFair30Water Supply1980
Anderson #1SignificantFair29Water Supply1963
Blackman_*SignificantNot Rated27Recreation1911
CastoSignificantFair26Irrigation1940
Colby Horse ParkSignificantFair26Irrigation1956
Bull Creek #5SignificantFair26Irrigation1901
BolenSignificantFair25Water Supply1973
Mesa Creek #1SignificantFair25Irrigation1893
Mesa Creek #4SignificantFair23Irrigation1892
Mesa Creek #3SignificantFair23Irrigation1890
Grand Mesa #1SignificantUnsatisfactory22Irrigation1887
Bull Basin #2SignificantFair22Irrigation1953
Grand Mesa #8SignificantFair21Irrigation1901
Rapid Creek #1SignificantFair21Irrigation1934
Cottonwood #2SignificantFair20Irrigation1895
Jumbo Mesa Creek 5SignificantNot Rated19Recreation1963
Glacier Spg Retaining PondSignificantNot Rated13Fish and Wildlife Pond1934
CurrierSignificantNot Rated11Recreation1939
Fruita #3LowSatisfactory52Water Supply1932
Omid Regulating ReservoirLowNot Available512016
Ruby LeeLowNot Rated50Irrigation1922
Beaver-huffingtonLowNot Rated44Irrigation1957
AubertLowNot Rated42Recreation1974
Mole-richardson #2LowFair40Irrigation1973
Gobbo #2LowNot Rated40Recreation1940
G.h. And S. #2LowNot Rated38Irrigation1950
Mack MesaLowFair36Recreation1952
Mckelvie #1LowNot Rated36Irrigation1911
Joe King #2LowFair35Irrigation2008
Thompson #2LowFair34Irrigation1953
Mole-richardson #3LowNot Rated33Irrigation1973
RootsLowUnsatisfactory33Fish and Wildlife Pond1998
Mirror Lake #1LowSatisfactory33Water Supply1957
King #3LowNot Rated32Recreation1940
Badger DetentionLowUnsatisfactory31Flood Risk Reduction1957
CheneyLowSatisfactory30Irrigation1908
Molina Equalizing Reservoir DamLowNot Available301962
ReederLowNot Rated30Irrigation1889
Soap Retenton DamLowNot Rated30Debris Control1960
Bunkwater Ridge Retention DamLowFair30Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond1960
Palisade #3LowNot Rated29Water Supply1928
Duvall #1LowFair29Irrigation1947
Middle Canyon CreekLowFair28Irrigation1980
Deer Retention Dam #1LowNot Rated27Debris Control1960
Anderson Brothers #1LowUnsatisfactory27Irrigation1940
Bunkwater Retention DamLowFair26Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond1960
Schorn Fish PondLowSatisfactory26Recreation1935
West Badger DetentionLowSatisfactory25Flood Risk Reduction1962
Bull Creek #3LowSatisfactory25Irrigation1895
Hartman RetentionLowSatisfactory24Flood Risk Reduction1957
HawxhurstLowSatisfactory24Irrigation1911
Anderson #6LowNot Rated23Water Supply1929
Michaelson #1LowFair22Irrigation1926
Grove Creek #1LowUnsatisfactory22Irrigation1894
Grand Mesa #6LowNot Rated21Irrigation1966
Monument #2LowFair20Irrigation1954
Bull Basin #1LowNot Rated20Irrigation1920
DawsonLowNot Rated20Irrigation1911
Six & Fifty Detention DamLowNot Rated20Debris Control1957
Bolen, Anderson, JacobsLowSatisfactory19Water Supply1969
Big Creek #5LowSatisfactory19Irrigation1894
BurgLowNot Rated18Irrigation
Parker Basin #1LowFair18Irrigation1899
Parker Basin #2LowNot Rated18Irrigation1889
Big Creek #4LowUnsatisfactory18Irrigation1893
Rapid Creek #2LowNot Rated17Irrigation1946
KirkendallLowNot Rated17Irrigation1952
Twin BasinLowFair17Irrigation1912
King #2LowSatisfactory17Water Supply1940
Coon Creek #3LowFair16Irrigation1895
KendallLowNot Rated16Irrigation1926
Grove Creek #2LowSatisfactory16Irrigation1911
Grand Mesa #9LowFair15Irrigation1904
Fred DecampLowSatisfactory15Irrigation1931
Mesa Creek #2LowSatisfactory15Recreation1926
Grand Valley Diversion DamLowNot Available141916
CasementLowFair13Irrigation2007
Bull Creek #1LowNot Rated13Irrigation1895
RedlandsLowSatisfactory13Irrigation1917
Lost LakeLowFair12Irrigation1922
Scales #1 (lower)LowNot Rated12Irrigation1959
Coon Creek #2LowNot Rated12Irrigation1900
Bull Creek #2LowNot Rated11Irrigation1895
Long SloughLowNot Rated11Irrigation1912
ChambersLowNot Rated10Irrigation1903
Scales #3 (upper)LowNot Rated9Irrigation1969
JensenLowNot Rated7Irrigation1913