Chatfield Dam and Reservoir is a dam and artificial lake located on the
South Platte River
The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River. Flowing through the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska, it is itself a major river of the American Midwest and the American Southwest/ Mountain West. It ...
, south of
Littleton,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
. The dam and reservoir were built by the
as a response to the disastrous flood of 1965. In addition to its primary purpose of
flood control
Flood control methods are used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters."Flood Control", MSN Encarta, 2008 (see below: Further reading). Flood relief methods are used to reduce the effects of flood waters or high water level ...
, it serves as one of many
water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Thes ...
reservoirs for the city of
Denver, Colorado
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
. In 1966, the
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission projected a total federal cost of $74 million. Construction of the project was begun in 1967 and the dam was completed in 1975.
The massive breastworks of the dam measure approximately in length with a maximum height of the dam of above the streambed. The normal depth of the lake is at its deepest point. This means the dam towers above the mean surface of the reservoir.
The lake drains an area of more than 3,000 square miles (8,000 km
2). The 1,500 acre (6 km
2) lake has a conservation storage capacity of with a flood-control pool of over
Chatfield State Park
The reservoir is surrounded by
Chatfield State Park, a recreation area with boating, horseback riding and camping. A secondary inflow from the south is
Plum Creek. A tertiary inflow from the west is Deer Creek.
There are 212 bird species that are frequently found at Chatfield Reservoir. These birds either permanently live there or just go there to rest after long migrations. There is a Chatfield bird watch list that anyone can access. The
bald eagle,
white pelican and
burrowing owl
The burrowing owl (''Athene cunicularia''), also called the shoco, is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or an ...
have been seen.
Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Project
The Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Project, a million construction project that took place between 2017 and 2020, created an additional of water storage in the reservoir, raising its level by about . The project involved moving some of the surrounding park's facilities back from the new, higher lake levels.
See also
*
Cherry Creek Dam & Reservoir
*
Bear Creek & Reservoir
References
External links
Tri-Lakes Projects(Official site) -
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
, colors =
, anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day)
, battles =
, battles_label = Wars
, website =
, commander1 = ...
Chatfield Lake Area Map- Colorado Parks & Wildlife
Chatfield conditions and fishing reportsChatfield Storage Reallocation Project website
{{authority control
Reservoirs in Colorado
Bodies of water of Douglas County, Colorado
Tourist attractions in Jefferson County, Colorado
Protected areas of Jefferson County, Colorado
United States Army Corps of Engineers dams
Dams in Colorado
Buildings and structures in Douglas County, Colorado
Buildings and structures in Jefferson County, Colorado
Dams completed in 1975