Summitville Tailings is an earth dam located in Rio Grande County, Colorado, built in 1968. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 83 ft83 ft tall and 675 ft long, taller than 97% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a ten-story building, about 100 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Summitville Tailings
The primary purpose of Summitville Tailings 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 Colorado Dept of Public Health & Environment (boar (state). It impounds the Wightman Fork near Capulin.
The dam stands 83 feet tall and stretches 675 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 16 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 450 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 4 square miles. Completed in 1968, 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 08/09/2022.
At 83 feet, this dam is taller than 97% of all dams in the United States.
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Location
| State | Colorado |
| County | Rio Grande |
| Nearest City | Capulin |
| River/Stream | Wightman Fork |
| Coordinates | 37.42862, -106.58863 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 83 ft |
| Dam Height | 80 ft |
| Dam Length | 675 ft |
| Year Completed | 1968 (58 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 450 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 450 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 276 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 16 acres |
| Drainage Area | 4 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 5,940 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Water Supply |
| Owner | Colorado Dept of Public Health & Environment (boar |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 08/09/2022 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | CO00785 |
| Federal ID | CO00785 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |