Ute Creek Dam

About Ute Creek Dam

The primary purpose of Ute Creek 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 Ute Creek Ranch Company (private). It impounds the Ute Creek-os near Ute Park.

The dam stands 52 feet tall and stretches 385 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 10 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 200 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1913, 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 poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 05/05/2016. That was 9 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

At 52 feet, this dam is taller than 93% of dams nationwide.

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 New Mexico dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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