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<br />TwO thousand two hundred ninety-two (2,292) of these dams are <br /> <br /> <br />regulated by the State Engineer as "jurisdictional" dams - "No <br /> <br /> <br />reservoir of a capacity of more than one thousand acre-feet, or <br /> <br /> <br />having a dam or embankment in excess of ten feet in vertical height, <br /> <br /> <br />from the bottom of the chatlIlel to the bottom of the spillway, or <br /> <br />having a surface area at high waterline in excess of twenty acres <br /> <br /> <br />shall be constructed in thi~ state unless the plans and specifica- <br /> <br />tions for the same have first been approved by the state engineer and <br /> <br /> <br />filed in his office ", (C.R.S. 37-87-105). <br /> <br />These jurisdictional dams pose sufficient threat to ~equire monitor- <br /> <br /> <br />ing and inspection. Of these, 236 are classified as "high hazard"-- <br /> <br />where failure could result in loss of life; 348 are classified as <br /> <br /> <br />"moderate hazard" where failure is estimated to result in signifcant <br /> <br /> <br />property loss. These 584 dams represent an immediate and large scale <br /> <br /> <br />hazard to Coloradans (see lists of high and moderate hazard dams at <br /> <br /> <br />Appendix 3). <br /> <br />Many of Colorado's 26,400 other dams <br />moderate hazard dams) not classified <br /> <br />(27,000 minus 584 high and <br />as hazardous to people and <br /> <br />property have inundation zones that are undeveloped; since Colorado <br />is an area of substantial population growth many dams may eventually <br />have to be upgraded as to hazard rating if action is not taken to <br />limit development in inundation zones. It is noteworthy that the <br />Lawn Lake dam before it failed, was classified as "moderate" hazard. <br />Also, it is possible that a dam not now classified as either high or <br />moderate hazard could fail and result in loss of life and property. <br />Despite this classification any dam failure and the resulting flood <br />must be considered dangerous. The danger fram any of Colorado's dams <br />increases as growth continues. <br /> <br />As directed by C.R.S. 37-87-123, the State Engineer has developed <br />reports on each high hazard dam and sent these reports to potentially <br />threatened cities, towns and counties. The reports contain the State <br />Engineer's evaluation of the structural integrity and state of repair <br />as of October 1983. <br /> <br />-6- <br />