Monument Lake

Monument Lake is an earth dam located in El Paso County, Colorado, built in 1893. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.

About Monument Lake

The primary purpose of Monument Lake is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Town Of Monument (local government). It impounds the Monument Creek near Monument.

The dam stands 47 feet tall and stretches 851 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 31 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 922 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 30 square miles. Completed in 1893, the structure is over a century old.

This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in loss of life. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 05/14/2021.

At 47 feet, this dam is taller than 92% of dams nationwide.

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Significant HazardSatisfactory ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Yes

Location

StateColorado
CountyEl Paso
Nearest CityMonument
River/StreamMonument Creek
Coordinates39.09001, -104.87890

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height47 ft
Dam Height47 ft
Dam Length851 ft
Year Completed1893 (133 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage922 acre-ft
Max Storage922 acre-ft
Normal Storage305 acre-ft
Surface Area31 acres
Drainage Area30 sq mi
Max Discharge21,849 cfs
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeIrrigation
OwnerTOWN OF MONUMENT
Owner TypeLocal Government
Hazard ClassificationSignificant
Condition AssessmentSatisfactory
Last Inspection05/14/2021
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDCO00429
Federal IDCO00429
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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