FLOOD02160

• County: Statewide
• Community: State of Colorado
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: The Dam Failure Hazard: Awareness and Preparedness
• Date: 3/23/1984
• Prepared For: State of Colorado
• Prepared By: Division of Disaster Emergency Services
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

The condition of the 236 high ha zard darns were reported as follows:

(See Appendix 4 for detailed defini':ions).

STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY

STATE OF REPAIR

Satisfactory
Conditionally Satisfactor:r
(generally older dams,
considered inadequate by
current engineering
standards)
Unsatisfactory
(storage level restricted
or pending restriction due
to structural inadequacy)

Excellent
Good
Poor
Unacceptable

Of the 236 high hazard dams, 115 were rated as satisfactory, 22 were

rated as unsatisfactory, and 101 ",ere rated conditionally satisfactory~

Of the 236, 23 were found to be in an unacceptable or a poor state of

repair.

These high hazard and to a lesser degree I' some moderate hazard

dams, pose a special level of riHk to people living in the potential

inundation zones.

The State EnginE~er however, has restl~icted the reser-

voirs of the unsatisfactory dams anc. ones in poor repair to a safe storage

level, and placed controls on the ce'nditiemally sa1:isfactory dams; provid-

ing for the interim safety until the problems are resolved.

Connties

where these high and moderate hazan: dams are 10ca1:ed are shown on the map

on page 8; counties where satisfClctoryp conditionally satisfactory or

unsatisfactory dams are located are shown on page 9.

Additional elements of risk are a:'parent when these maps are compared

with the seismic intensity map in Appendix 5.

Possible seismic events

across the State can be intense enough to bring on dam failure under

some conditions.

Particularly vulnerable are older earthen dams and

others whose structural integrity may he conditional.

Despite engineer

control an additional element of risk from seismic activity exists.

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