Cottonwood Lake is a concrete dam located in Chaffee County, Colorado, built in 1936. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 8 ft8 ft tall and 41 ft long. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic concrete gravity section and the water level is illustrative.
About Cottonwood Lake
The primary purpose of Cottonwood Lake is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Usda Fs (federal). It impounds the South Cottonwood Creek near Tincup.
The dam stands 8 feet tall and stretches 41 feet across, has a maximum storage capacity of 120 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 26 square miles. Completed in 1936, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.
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 09/17/2013. That was over 13 years ago.
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Location
| State | Colorado |
| County | Chaffee |
| Nearest City | Tincup |
| River/Stream | South Cottonwood Creek |
| Coordinates | 38.78137, -106.27717 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Concrete |
| NID Height | 8 ft |
| Dam Height | 6 ft |
| Dam Length | 41 ft |
| Year Completed | 1936 (90 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 120 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 120 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 59 acre-ft |
| Drainage Area | 26 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 540 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Usda Fs |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 09/17/2013 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | CO03036 |
| Federal ID | CO03036 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |