Walsenburg City Lake
Walsenburg City Lake is an earth dam located in Huerfano County, Colorado, built in 2019. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
About Walsenburg City Lake
The primary purpose of Walsenburg City Lake is water supply. The dam stores water for municipal, industrial, or agricultural use, helping ensure a reliable supply for the surrounding area. The dam is owned by City Of Walsenburg (local government). It impounds the Cucharas River-os near Walsenburg.
The dam stands 40 feet tall and stretches 3,950 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 50 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 992 acre-feet. Completed in 2019, the structure is relatively new.
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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 05/06/2022.
At 40 feet, this dam is taller than 87% 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 Colorado 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 | Colorado |
| County | Huerfano |
| Nearest City | Walsenburg |
| River/Stream | Cucharas River-os |
| Coordinates | 37.59668, -104.85723 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 40 ft |
| Dam Height | 21 ft |
| Dam Length | 3,950 ft |
| Year Completed | 2019 (7 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 992 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 992 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 686 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 50 acres |
| Max Discharge | 1,544 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Water Supply |
| Owner | CITY OF WALSENBURG |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 05/06/2022 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | CO00514 |
| Federal ID | CO00514 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |