Brittingham, John is an earth dam located in Elbert County, Colorado, built in 1971. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 35 ft35 ft tall and 547 ft long, taller than 80% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Brittingham, John
The primary purpose of Brittingham, John is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by John Brittingham (private). It impounds the Wilson Creek near Deer Trail.
The dam stands 35 feet tall and stretches 547 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 17 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 225 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 4 square miles. Completed in 1971, 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. The most recent inspection on record was 07/18/1991. That was over 35 years ago.
At 35 feet, this dam is taller than 80% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Colorado |
| County | Elbert |
| Nearest City | Deer Trail |
| River/Stream | Wilson Creek |
| Coordinates | 39.34612, -104.17834 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 35 ft |
| Dam Height | 28 ft |
| Dam Length | 547 ft |
| Year Completed | 1971 (55 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 225 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 225 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 114 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 17 acres |
| Drainage Area | 4 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 7,200 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | John Brittingham |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 07/18/1991 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | CO00006 |
| Federal ID | CO00006 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |