Best is an earth dam located in Kiowa County, Colorado, built in 1904. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 10 ft10 ft tall and 3,200 ft long. 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 Best
The primary purpose of Best is fire protection, stock, or small fish pond. The dam maintains a small impoundment used for fire suppression, livestock watering, or as a fish pond. The dam is owned by Lowell Johnston (private). It impounds the Mustang Creek-os near Las Animas.
The dam stands 10 feet tall and stretches 3,200 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 161 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 1,422 acre-feet. Completed in 1904, 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. The most recent inspection on record was 08/29/1990. That was over 36 years ago.
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Location
| State | Colorado |
| County | Kiowa |
| Nearest City | Las Animas |
| River/Stream | Mustang Creek-os |
| Coordinates | 38.45168, -103.39890 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 10 ft |
| Dam Height | 10 ft |
| Dam Length | 3,200 ft |
| Year Completed | 1904 (122 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 1,422 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 1,422 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 778 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 161 acres |
| Max Discharge | 2,104 cfs |
| Spillway Type | None |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond |
| Owner | Lowell Johnston |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 08/29/1990 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | CO01872 |
| Federal ID | CO01872 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |