Big Sandy Creek Watershed S-12
Big Sandy Creek Watershed S-12 is an earth dam located in El Paso County, Colorado, built in 1959. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
About Big Sandy Creek Watershed S-12
The primary purpose of Big Sandy Creek Watershed S-12 is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Double El Scd, Board (devin Schinzel, Board Presid (local government). It impounds the Big Sandy Creek-tr near Ramah.
The dam stands 37 feet tall and stretches 2,153 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 36 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 440 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 square miles. Completed in 1959, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. The most recent inspection on record was 07/20/2020.
At 37 feet, this dam is taller than 84% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Colorado |
| County | El Paso |
| Nearest City | Ramah |
| River/Stream | Big Sandy Creek-tr |
| Coordinates | 39.10084, -104.17140 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 37 ft |
| Dam Height | 32 ft |
| Dam Length | 2,153 ft |
| Year Completed | 1959 (67 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 440 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 440 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 260 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 36 acres |
| Drainage Area | 2 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 2,377 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | DOUBLE EL SCD, BOARD (DEVIN SCHINZEL, BOARD PRESID |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 07/20/2020 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | CO00728 |
| Federal ID | CO00728 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |