Big Sandy Creek Watershed S-17 is an earth dam located in El Paso County, Colorado, built in 1959. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 40 ft40 ft tall and 2,387 ft long, taller than 86% 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 Big Sandy Creek Watershed S-17
The primary purpose of Big Sandy Creek Watershed S-17 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 Double El Scd, Board (devin Schinzel, Board Presid (local government). It impounds the Big Sandy Creek-tr near Simla.
The dam stands 40 feet tall and stretches 2,387 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 33 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 536 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 4 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. The most recent inspection on record was 10/15/2020.
At 40 feet, this dam is taller than 86% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Colorado |
| County | El Paso |
| Nearest City | Simla |
| River/Stream | Big Sandy Creek-tr |
| Coordinates | 39.10862, -104.06307 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 40 ft |
| Dam Height | 37 ft |
| Dam Length | 2,387 ft |
| Year Completed | 1959 (67 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 536 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 536 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 371 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 33 acres |
| Drainage Area | 4 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 7,603 cfs |
| Spillway Type | None |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | Double El Scd, Board (devin Schinzel, Board Presid |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 10/15/2020 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | CO00730 |
| Federal ID | CO00730 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |