Vallecito Dam

Vallecito Dam
CountryUnited States
LocationLa Plata County, Colorado
StatusOperational
Opening date1940
Built byUnited States Bureau of Reclamation
Designed byCivilian Conservation Corps
Operator(s)Civilian Conservation Corps
Dam and spillways
Height162 ft (49 m)
Length4,010 ft (1,220 m)
Reservoir
Total capacity125,400 acre⋅ft (154,700,000 m3)
Surface area4.3 sq mi (11 km2)
Normal elevation2,338 m (7,671 ft)[1]

Vallecito Dam (National ID # CO01695) is a dam in La Plata County, Colorado[2] about 18 miles (29 km) northeast of Durango.[3]

Trees were cleared for the reservoir by the Civilian Conservation Corps.[4] The earthen dam was constructed in 1940 by the United States Bureau of Reclamation, with a height of 162 feet (49 m), and a length at its crest of 4,010 feet (1,220 m).[3] It impounds the Los Pinos River for irrigation water storage. The dam is owned by the Bureau and is operated by the local Pine River Irrigation District.

The reservoir it creates, Vallecito Reservoir, has a water surface of 4.3 square miles (11 km2) and a maximum capacity of 125,400 acre-feet (154,700,000 m3).[2][3] Recreational opportunities include fishing, hunting, boating, camping and hiking.[5]

Climate

Climate data for Vallecito Dam, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, 1917-2020 records: 7644ft (2330m)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 62
(17) 		63
(17) 		71
(22) 		79
(26) 		87
(31) 		92
(33) 		93
(34) 		91
(33) 		90
(32) 		82
(28) 		70
(21) 		62
(17) 		93
(34)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 49.5
(9.7) 		51.3
(10.7) 		61.7
(16.5) 		69.3
(20.7) 		77.2
(25.1) 		85.4
(29.7) 		88.1
(31.2) 		85.0
(29.4) 		81.2
(27.3) 		72.9
(22.7) 		60.5
(15.8) 		50.8
(10.4) 		88.4
(31.3)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 38.0
(3.3) 		40.8
(4.9) 		49.1
(9.5) 		56.8
(13.8) 		65.7
(18.7) 		76.8
(24.9) 		81.1
(27.3) 		78.7
(25.9) 		72.5
(22.5) 		60.9
(16.1) 		48.3
(9.1) 		38.5
(3.6) 		58.9
(15.0)
Daily mean °F (°C) 22.6
(−5.2) 		26.0
(−3.3) 		34.8
(1.6) 		42.0
(5.6) 		50.2
(10.1) 		59.4
(15.2) 		65.0
(18.3) 		63.2
(17.3) 		56.4
(13.6) 		45.6
(7.6) 		34.4
(1.3) 		25.3
(−3.7) 		43.7
(6.5)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 7.2
(−13.8) 		11.1
(−11.6) 		20.4
(−6.4) 		27.2
(−2.7) 		34.6
(1.4) 		42.1
(5.6) 		48.8
(9.3) 		47.8
(8.8) 		40.3
(4.6) 		30.3
(−0.9) 		20.5
(−6.4) 		12.1
(−11.1) 		28.5
(−1.9)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −9.0
(−22.8) 		−6.7
(−21.5) 		3.5
(−15.8) 		15.4
(−9.2) 		24.4
(−4.2) 		32.3
(0.2) 		41.3
(5.2) 		40.9
(4.9) 		29.6
(−1.3) 		18.3
(−7.6) 		4.6
(−15.2) 		−5.6
(−20.9) 		−12.0
(−24.4)
Record low °F (°C) −35
(−37) 		−31
(−35) 		−21
(−29) 		−6
(−21) 		15
(−9) 		20
(−7) 		32
(0) 		28
(−2) 		22
(−6) 		2
(−17) 		−10
(−23) 		−22
(−30) 		−35
(−37)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.52
(64) 		2.14
(54) 		1.69
(43) 		1.36
(35) 		1.66
(42) 		0.88
(22) 		2.57
(65) 		3.24
(82) 		3.36
(85) 		2.34
(59) 		1.93
(49) 		2.07
(53) 		25.76
(653)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 19.60
(49.8) 		21.20
(53.8) 		10.40
(26.4) 		3.60
(9.1) 		0.60
(1.5) 		0.00
(0.00) 		0.00
(0.00) 		0.00
(0.00) 		0.00
(0.00) 		0.70
(1.8) 		7.40
(18.8) 		21.40
(54.4) 		84.9
(215.6)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 6.1 7.3 6.3 5.8 7.7 4.6 12.8 14.9 10.7 7.3 5.3 7.7 96.5
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 5.5 6.5 4.7 2.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.6 3.7 7.2 30.5
Source 1: NOAA[6]
Source 2: XMACIS2 (records & monthly max/mins)[7]

References

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Vallecito Dam
  2. ^ a b "Vallecito". National Inventory of Dams. May 24, 2021. Archived from the original on September 1, 2019. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "Vallecito Dam". United States Bureau of Reclamation. n.d. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  4. ^ United States. Dept. of the Interior (1942). Annual Report of the Department of the Interior. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 22.
  5. ^ "Vallecito Reservoir". Recreation.gov. 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  6. ^ "Vallecito Dam, Colorado 1991-2020 Monthly Normals". Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  7. ^ "xmACIS". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 7, 2024.

37°22′44″N 107°34′25″W / 37.37884°N 107.57353°W / 37.37884; -107.57353