Little Gem

Little Gem is an earth dam located in Weld County, Colorado, built in 1902. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.

About Little Gem

The primary purpose of Little Gem is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Kroes, Mark (private). It impounds the St Vrain Creek-tr near Gilcrest.

The dam stands 30 feet tall and stretches 1,350 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 12 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 175 acre-feet. Completed in 1902, the structure is over a century 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. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. The most recent inspection on record was 05/28/2021.

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Low HazardSatisfactory ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Not Required

Location

StateColorado
CountyWeld
Nearest CityGilcrest
River/StreamSt Vrain Creek-tr
Coordinates40.26689, -104.94799

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height30 ft
Dam Height27 ft
Dam Length1,350 ft
Year Completed1902 (124 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage175 acre-ft
Max Storage175 acre-ft
Normal Storage134 acre-ft
Surface Area12 acres
Max Discharge967 cfs
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeIrrigation
OwnerKROES, MARK
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentSatisfactory
Last Inspection05/28/2021
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDCO00859
Federal IDCO00859
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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