Vouga

About Vouga

The primary purpose of Vouga is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Vouga Reservoir Association (staheli, Ralph) (private). It impounds the Razor Creek near Gunnison.

The dam stands 60 feet tall and stretches 1,195 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 50 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,450 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 32 square miles. Completed in 1978, the structure is 48 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 unsatisfactory, indicating serious safety deficiencies exist that require immediate attention or remedial action. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 07/08/2022.

At 60 feet, this dam is taller than 95% 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.

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