Rainbow Lake
Rainbow Lake is a rockfill dam located in Chaffee County, Colorado, built in 1965. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
About Rainbow Lake
The primary purpose of Rainbow Lake is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Rainbow Lake Resort, Inc. (lippert, Joel) (private). It impounds the Middle Cottonwood near Buena Vista.
The dam stands 23 feet tall and stretches 120 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 19 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 196 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 32 square miles. Completed in 1965, 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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. The most recent inspection on record was 06/25/2013. That was over 12 years ago.
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Location
| State | Colorado |
| County | Chaffee |
| Nearest City | Buena Vista |
| River/Stream | Middle Cottonwood |
| Coordinates | 38.80918, -106.26529 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Rockfill |
| NID Height | 23 ft |
| Dam Height | 23 ft |
| Dam Length | 120 ft |
| Year Completed | 1965 (61 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 196 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 196 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 106 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 19 acres |
| Drainage Area | 32 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 1,730 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | RAINBOW LAKE RESORT, INC. (LIPPERT, JOEL) |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 06/25/2013 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | CO02453 |
| Federal ID | CO02453 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |