Heart Lake
Heart Lake is an earth dam located in Garfield County, Colorado, built in 1953. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
About Heart Lake
The primary purpose of Heart Lake is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Colorado Parks And Wildlife (taylor, Margaret) (state). It impounds the Deep Creek near Dotsero.
The dam stands 43 feet tall and stretches 700 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 337 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 5,463 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 5 square miles. Completed in 1953, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 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 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 07/07/2022.
At 43 feet, this dam is taller than 89% of dams nationwide.
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.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Colorado |
| County | Garfield |
| Nearest City | Dotsero |
| River/Stream | Deep Creek |
| Coordinates | 39.77167, -107.31891 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 43 ft |
| Dam Height | 31 ft |
| Dam Length | 700 ft |
| Year Completed | 1953 (73 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 5,463 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 5,463 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 3,088 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 337 acres |
| Drainage Area | 5 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 2,032 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE (TAYLOR, MARGARET) |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 07/07/2022 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | CO00925 |
| Federal ID | CO00925 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |