Vallecito Dam

About Vallecito Dam

The primary purpose of Vallecito Dam is fish and wildlife pond. The dam creates habitat for fish and wildlife, supporting local ecosystems and potentially serving conservation goals. The dam is owned by Bureau Of Reclamation (federal). It impounds the Los Pinos River near Bayfield.

The dam stands 162 feet tall and stretches 4,010 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 2,803 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 136,200 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 254 square miles. Completed in 1941, 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 08/24/2022.

At 162 feet, this dam is taller than 99% 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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