O'brien #1 is an earth dam located in Yuma County, Colorado, built in 1959. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 25 ft25 ft tall and 306 ft long, taller than 50% 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 O'brien #1
The primary purpose of O'brien #1 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 James Hutton (private). It impounds the South Republican River-tr near Hale.
The dam stands 25 feet tall and stretches 306 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 4 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 115 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 square miles. Completed in 1959, 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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. The most recent inspection on record was 05/10/1988. That was over 38 years ago.
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Location
| State | Colorado |
| County | Yuma |
| Nearest City | Hale |
| River/Stream | South Republican River-tr |
| Coordinates | 39.61667, -102.17057 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 25 ft |
| Dam Height | 11 ft |
| Dam Length | 306 ft |
| Year Completed | 1959 (67 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 115 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 115 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 15 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 4 acres |
| Drainage Area | 2 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 526 cfs |
| Spillway Type | None |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | James Hutton |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 05/10/1988 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | CO00379 |
| Federal ID | CO00379 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |