Ridgway Dam is an
earthen dam
An embankment dam is a large artificial dam. It is typically created by the placement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil or rock. It has a semi-pervious waterproof natural covering for its surface and ...
on the
Uncompahgre River
The Uncompahgre River is a tributary of the Gunnison River, approximately 75 mi (121 km) long, in southwestern Colorado in the United States. Lake Como at 12,215 ft (3723m) in northern San Juan County, in the Uncompahgre National ...
which impounds
Ridgway Reservoir
Ridgway Reservoir is a lake impounded by Ridgway Dam () on the Uncompahgre River north of the town of Ridgway in Ouray County, Colorado in the western United States.
Ridgway Dam was built as part of the Dallas Creek Project. Construction began i ...
, located about 6 miles (10 km) north of the town of
Ridgway in
Ouray County, Colorado
Ouray County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,874. The county seat is Ouray. Because of its rugged mountain topography, Ouray County is also known as the Switzerland of America.
H ...
. The dam is high and long, with a capacity of of
water
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...
.
Ridgway Dam was built as part of the Dallas Creek Project. Construction began in 1978 and completed in 1987. The construction of the dam forced the re-routing of
U.S. Highway 550 to the east and the abandonment of the Ridgway Branch of the
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to ''Rio Grande'', D&RG or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, was an American Class I railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow-gauge line running south from De ...
.
Hydroelectric retrofitting
In 2014, work was completed on retrofitting the dam to add a
hydroelectric plant
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...
. The dam's operator, Tri-County Water Conservancy District, installed two turbines and generators, an 8 kW system and a 7.2 MW system. The larger one is used in summer and the smaller one in winter. The electricity created is sold to the Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association and to the
City of Aspen. Construction of the new hydroelectric project cost approximately $18 million. In an average year, the two generators produce about 24,000 megawatt hours of electric power.
See also
*
List of reservoirs and dams in the United States
The following is a partial list of dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irri ...
References
External links
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation - Dallas Creek Project
{{coord, 38.23688, -107.75865, format=dms, display=title, type:landmark
Dams in Colorado
Hydroelectric power plants in Colorado
Buildings and structures in Ouray County, Colorado
United States Bureau of Reclamation dams
Dams completed in 1987
Energy infrastructure completed in 2014
Dams in the Colorado River basin