Olympus Dam is a dam located on the

Big Thompson River The Big Thompson River is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately 78 miles (123 km) long, in the U.S. state of Colorado. Originating in Forest Canyon in Rocky Mountain National Park, the river flows into Lake Estes in the town ...

, in the town of

Estes Park, Colorado Estes Park is a statutory town in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 5,904 at the 2020 United States Census. Estes Park is a part of the Fort Collins, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban Corr ...

. The reservoir behind the dam,

Lake Estes Lake Estes is a reservoir in Estes Park, Colorado created by Olympus Dam. The lake has a shoreline of about and a surface area of . The reservoir lies on the Big Thompson River The Big Thompson River is a tributary of the South Platte River ...

, is the main source of drinking water for Estes Park. The dam was constructed between 1947 and 1949. The dam is 70 feet high, has a crest width of 10 feet, a base width of 49.5 feet, and a crest length of 320 feet. It is part of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project.

Construction

On 16 June 1947, bids began to be placed for the dam-building contract. It was won by the Gordon, Bressi and Bevanda construction firm.

References

{{reflist Dams in Colorado Estes Park, Colorado Lakes of Larimer County, Colorado