Cooley
Cooley is an earth dam located in Navajo County, Arizona, built in 1963. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a unsatisfactory condition assessment.
About Cooley
The primary purpose of Cooley is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Bia (federal). It impounds the Corduroy Creek near Carrizo.
The dam stands 36 feet tall and stretches 250 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 9 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 189 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 5 square miles. Completed in 1963, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years 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 unsatisfactory, indicating serious safety deficiencies exist that require immediate attention or remedial action. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 11/09/2022.
At 36 feet, this dam is taller than 83% 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 Arizona 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 | Arizona |
| County | Navajo |
| Nearest City | Carrizo |
| River/Stream | Corduroy Creek |
| Coordinates | 34.07030, -109.91880 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 36 ft |
| Dam Height | 36 ft |
| Dam Length | 250 ft |
| Year Completed | 1963 (63 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 189 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 189 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 114 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 9 acres |
| Drainage Area | 5 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 410 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | BIA |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Unsatisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 11/09/2022 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | AZ10416 |
| Federal ID | AZ10416 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |