Santa Maria
Santa Maria is an earth dam located in Mineral County, Colorado, built in 1911. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
About Santa Maria
The primary purpose of Santa Maria is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Santa Maria Reservoir Co. (holland, Keith) (private). It impounds the Boulder Creek-os near South Fork.
The dam stands 102 feet tall and stretches 1,250 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 525 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 49,400 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 4 square miles. Completed in 1911, 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 08/17/2022.
At 102 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 | Mineral |
| Nearest City | South Fork |
| River/Stream | Boulder Creek-os |
| Coordinates | 37.80593, -107.09995 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 102 ft |
| Dam Height | 102 ft |
| Dam Length | 1,250 ft |
| Year Completed | 1911 (115 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 49,400 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 49,400 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 43,826 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 525 acres |
| Drainage Area | 4 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 2,100 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Owner | SANTA MARIA RESERVOIR CO. (HOLLAND, KEITH) |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 08/17/2022 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | CO00780 |
| Federal ID | CO00780 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |