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DWR_2726124
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DWR_2726124
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Last modified
8/22/2016 1:27:10 PM
Creation date
3/25/2015 9:55:18 AM
Metadata
Fields
Template:
Dam Safety
Document Date
1/23/2015
Document Type - Dam Safety
Report
Division
2
Dam ID
100470
Subject
LOWER EMERALD VALLEY RANCH DAM - FINAL DAM FAILURE FORENSIC INVESTIGATION REPORT
DWR Send/Recipient
JOHN HUNYADI, BILL McCORMICK - DSB
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Page 2 Upper and Lower Emerald Valley Dam Failure Report <br /> January 23, 2015 <br /> <br />The scope of the study included: <br /> Interviews of the dam owner and downstream property owners, <br /> Field inspection and survey of the dam breach and creek flooding, <br /> Review of processed rain data from the Sept. 2013 event, <br /> Analyses and discussions based on this information. <br /> <br />3.0 General Background <br />UEV & LEV Dams (both non-roster dams) overtopped and failed during the September <br />2013 widespread catastrophic flooding in Northern Colorado and the Pikes Peak Region of <br />El Paso County. The storm was an unusual, late season event whereby warm moisture and <br />upslope winds allowed up to 16-17 inches of rain to fall at elevations as high as 10,000 ft. <br />The rain event was long and high volume but relatively low-intensity. It caused extensive <br />flooding throughout Northern Colorado and also the Pikes Peak Region. <br /> <br />State climatologist, Nolan Doesken, confirmed that 11.85 inches of rain fell over 24 hours at a <br />rain gauge at Fort Carson on 12 SEP 2013, just to the north and east of the Emerald Valley <br />Basin. More than two-thirds of that fell in over just three hours. While northern Colorado had <br />more total rain over a larger area in September, Mr. Doesken says no official record is kept for <br />most rainfall in a week. The new record breaks the previous one-day, Colorado official <br />rainfall total of 11.08 inches in Holly, CO in 1965. <br /> <br />UEV & LEV Dams are owned by the Broadmoor, as part of their Emerald Valley Ranch <br />Resort, which is comprised of the lakes formed by the two dams and numerous <br />rehabilitated historic cabins. The Emerald Valley Ranch resort is operated by the <br />Broadmoor on US Forest Service property, under the requirements of an USFS Special Use <br />Permit. <br /> <br />From a regulatory perspective, this office (including previous dam safety engineers) was <br />unaware of the existence of these structures, primarily due to their minor size (surface <br />area on normal day of about 1 acre for the larger LEV Dam). There is no information in <br />our DAMS database for any water impounding structures in this area (to include Erosion <br />Control dams and/or Livestock Water Tanks). The structures are considered non-roster <br />dams and their presence was only made aware during reconnaissance by this office during <br />the regional flooding event, as follows. <br /> <br />During the days of 12 & 13 SEP 2013, this office was busy making phone calls to dam owners <br />potentially affected by the regional flooding event. One such dam owner was the Broadmoor, <br />who owns a High Hazard dam on the east slopes of Cheyenne Mountain, Fisher Canon DAMID <br />100121. During the call to check again on the status of Fisher Canon on 13 SEP 2014, a <br />representative of the Broadmoor informed this office that the two dams on Emerald Valley <br />Ranch had failed the previous day. A review of the location of Emerald Valley Ranch was <br />made, the approximate size of the dams determined through aerial photos, and a call was <br />made to the downstream owners of Keeton Reservoir. Keeton Dam is owned by the City of <br />Fountain and is located about 4 miles downstream of Emerald Valley. <br /> <br />The Emerald Valley dams lie in series on Little Fountain Creek, about 6.5 miles southeast <br />of the summit of Pikes Peak. The dams are accessed from Old Stage Road south onto FR <br />371. Keeton Dam is located about about ½ miles west of Colorado State Highway 115. <br />Figures 1, 2 and 3 show a vicinity map, location map, and 2011 aerial image around the <br />dams. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />
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