Kem Lake

Kem Lake is an earth dam located in La Plata County, Colorado, built in 1984. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.

About Kem Lake

The primary purpose of Kem Lake is fish and wildlife pond. The dam creates habitat for fish and wildlife, supporting local ecosystems and potentially serving conservation goals. The dam is owned by Katherine Pershern (private). It impounds the Elbert Creek near Durango.

The dam stands 20 feet tall and stretches 320 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 8 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 90 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 6 square miles. Completed in 1984, the structure is 42 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 12/20/2017.

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Low HazardNot Rated ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Not Required

Location

StateColorado
CountyLa Plata
Nearest CityDurango
River/StreamElbert Creek
Coordinates37.50887, -107.79896

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height20 ft
Dam Height20 ft
Dam Length320 ft
Year Completed1984 (42 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage90 acre-ft
Max Storage90 acre-ft
Normal Storage49 acre-ft
Surface Area8 acres
Drainage Area6 sq mi
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeFish and Wildlife Pond
OwnerKATHERINE PERSHERN
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentNot Rated
Last Inspection12/20/2017
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDCO02911
Federal IDCO02911
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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