Cherry Creek Dam (National ID # CO01280) is a dam in

Arapahoe County, Colorado Arapahoe County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, its population was 655,070, making it the third-most populous county in Colorado. The county seat is Littleton, and the most populous city is Auror ...

southeast of

Denver 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 ...

. The earthen dam was constructed between 1948 and 1950 by the

United States Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

with a height of and a length of at its crest. It impounds Cherry Creek, a tributary of 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 ...

, for flood control. The dam and reservoir are owned and operated by the Corps of Engineers. The reservoir it creates, Cherry Creek Reservoir, has a water surface of , and a maximum capacity of . Recreation at the reservoir centers on the facilities of the adjacent Cherry Creek State Park, which offers camping, radio-controlled aircraft, picnicking, opportunities for bird watching, cross country skiing, fishing, horseback riding and an outdoor shooting range.

References

{{Coord, 39.6480, -104.8605, format=dms, display=title, type:landmark Dams in Colorado Reservoirs in Colorado United States Army Corps of Engineers dams Dams completed in 1950 Buildings and structures in Arapahoe County, Colorado Bodies of water of Arapahoe County, Colorado