Tarryall

About Tarryall

The primary purpose of Tarryall is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Colorado Parks And Wildlife (taylor, Margaret) (state). It impounds the Tarryall Creek near Deckers.

The dam stands 70 feet tall and stretches 263 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 165 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,580 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 355 square miles. Completed in 1929, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Its condition is rated unsatisfactory, indicating serious safety deficiencies exist that require immediate attention or remedial action. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 06/21/2022.

At 70 feet, this dam is taller than 96% of all dams in the United States.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Colorado dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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