Garden Of The Gods
Garden Of The Gods is an earth dam located in El Paso County, Colorado, built in 2020. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
About Garden Of The Gods
The primary purpose of Garden Of The Gods is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by City Of Colorado Springs-eng. Division (local government). It impounds the Camp Creek near Colorado.
The dam stands 41 feet tall and stretches 694 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 11 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 231 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 9 square miles. Completed in 2020, the structure is relatively new.
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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 04/07/2022.
At 41 feet, this dam is taller than 88% 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 | El Paso |
| Nearest City | Colorado |
| River/Stream | Camp Creek |
| Coordinates | 38.88303, -104.87540 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 41 ft |
| Dam Height | 31 ft |
| Dam Length | 694 ft |
| Year Completed | 2020 (6 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 231 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 231 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 170 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 11 acres |
| Drainage Area | 9 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 12,293 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | CITY OF COLORADO SPRINGS-ENG. DIVISION |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 04/07/2022 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | CO03047 |
| Federal ID | CO03047 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |