Cottonwood #5

About Cottonwood #5

The primary purpose of Cottonwood #5 is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Cottonwood Res Company (currier, President, Carlyl (private). It impounds the Cottonwood Creek near Molina.

The dam stands 24 feet tall and stretches 370 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 37 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 528 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1909, the structure is over a century 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 10/20/2021.

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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