Beaver Park
Beaver Park is a rockfill dam located in Rio Grande County, Colorado, built in 1912. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
About Beaver Park
The primary purpose of Beaver Park 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 Beaver Creek near South Fork.
The dam stands 114 feet tall and stretches 435 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 130 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 9,394 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 47 square miles. Completed in 1912, the structure is over a century old.
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 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 06/08/2022.
At 114 feet, this dam is taller than 98% 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.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Colorado |
| County | Rio Grande |
| Nearest City | South Fork |
| River/Stream | Beaver Creek |
| Coordinates | 37.59612, -106.66669 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Rockfill |
| NID Height | 114 ft |
| Dam Height | 114 ft |
| Dam Length | 435 ft |
| Year Completed | 1912 (114 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 9,394 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 9,394 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 4,746 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 130 acres |
| Drainage Area | 47 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 35,000 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE (TAYLOR, MARGARET) |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 06/08/2022 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | CO00763 |
| Federal ID | CO00763 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |