Onion Valley
Onion Valley is an earth dam located in Montrose County, Colorado, built in 1954. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
About Onion Valley
The primary purpose of Onion Valley is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Fruitland Irrigation Co. (todd, President, Danny) (private). It impounds the Iron Creek near Crawford.
The dam stands 110 feet tall and stretches 407 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 340 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 10,380 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 22 square miles. Completed in 1954, 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 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 07/06/2021.
At 110 feet, this dam is taller than 98% of all dams in the United States.
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 | Montrose |
| Nearest City | Crawford |
| River/Stream | Iron Creek |
| Coordinates | 38.60333, -107.59391 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 110 ft |
| Dam Height | 85 ft |
| Dam Length | 407 ft |
| Year Completed | 1954 (72 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 10,380 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 10,380 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 9,000 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 340 acres |
| Drainage Area | 22 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 502 cfs |
| Spillway Type | None |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Owner | FRUITLAND IRRIGATION CO. (TODD, PRESIDENT, DANNY) |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 07/06/2021 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | CO00603 |
| Federal ID | CO00603 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |