FLOOD02521

• County: Statewide
• Community: State of Colorado
• Stream Name: All
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Reclamation's Role in Colorado Flood Control
• Date: 7/1/1965
• Prepared For: State of Colorado
• Prepared By: BOR
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

CHATFIELD DAM AND RESERVOIR

The Chatfield damsite is located south of Littleton, Colo.,

just below the confluence of Plum Creek and South Platte River. It is

proposed for qonstruction by the Corps of Engineers.

Denver devastation in the flood of 1965 would have been eliminated

had this dam been in existence. It would have controlled all the waters

of that flood from Plum Creek, the South Platte River, and other

tributaries above the damsite.

The capacity of the site is severely limited both economically and

physically. Railroad, highway, and urban development reloqations will

be progressively more costly with capacity increases up to the lower

elevation limit of the Denver water works at Kassler which imposes an

absolute physical limit. Fortunately the Two Forks site, proposed for

construction by the Bureau of Reclamation, in the main stem canyon

above the Denver Water Works and below the North and South Forks of the

river can provide control of South Platte floods as well as protection

for the Denver water works both at a lesser unit of water cost than the

Chatfield site. Design of the two dams should be coordinated to assure

the maximum benefits at the minimum cost. Similarly, if constructed,

operation of the two reservoirs would be integrated and coordinated to

provide maximum flood control. The desirability of incorporating

conservation storage capacity in the Chatfield Reservoir should be

explored during planning.

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