Nelson is an earth dam located in Douglas County, Colorado, built in 1953. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 30 ft30 ft tall and 164 ft long, taller than 68% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Nelson
The primary purpose of Nelson is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Split Rail Fence (barenberg, Tom) (private). It impounds the Rainbow Creek near Louviers.
The dam stands 30 feet tall and stretches 164 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 1 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 22 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1953, 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. The most recent inspection on record was 07/19/2007. That was over 19 years ago.
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Location
| State | Colorado |
| County | Douglas |
| Nearest City | Louviers |
| River/Stream | Rainbow Creek |
| Coordinates | 39.41000, -105.04223 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 30 ft |
| Dam Height | 30 ft |
| Dam Length | 164 ft |
| Year Completed | 1953 (73 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 22 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 22 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 6 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 1 acres |
| Drainage Area | 1 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 177 cfs |
| Spillway Type | None |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Owner | Split Rail Fence (barenberg, Tom) |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 07/19/2007 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | CO01303 |
| Federal ID | CO01303 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |