Our ability to reliably deliver water to our customers depends on storage. We’re able to store, on average, enough water to supply our customer demand for three years in the 25 reservoirs across our broad system. Each one of those reservoirs relies on a dam to contain and control that water.
Because dams hold back incredible volumes of water, it’s important they perform well – the safety and well-being of people and property downstream depend on it.
Maintaining our dams is the responsibility of a broad team of Springs Utilities staff, ranging from on-site caretakers and operators to engineers, maintenance crews and emergency management personnel. Each person plays a role in our dam safety program by ensuring everything stays in tiptop shape.
In Colorado, dams are rated in four categories: high hazard, significant hazard, low hazard and no potential hazard. Each represents a risk level to people or property should they be breached.
“High-hazard dams are those that pose significant risk to downstream people and property,” explains Bill Sturtevant, chief dam safety engineer for Colorado Springs Utilities. “Many of our dams fit in this category which makes them subject to annual inspections by the state.”
Our maintenance program is in place to prevent dam failures, but being prepared for such a situation is required for most dams. To that end, we maintain Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) for all our dams, regardless of their category. The plans are managed by our emergency management team as part of ensuring public safety.
Rampart Reservoir boasts the largest dam in our system. The reservoir holds roughly 39,000 acre-feet of water, which is the equivalent of 15,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools! Due to its proximity and location to the city, Rampart is considered a high-hazard dam. The dams at Crystal Creek, South Catamount, and North Catamount Reservoirs in the North Slope Recreation Area (NSRA) of Pikes Peak are also considered high hazard dams.
This year’s inspection of the NSRA dams happened to fall on May 31, which was National Dam Safety Awareness Day. A team of Springs Utilities staff accompanied inspectors from the Colorado Division of Water Resources as they tracked up and down spillways, across crests and inside pipeline tunnels to examine the components of the dams.
Most of the dams across our system are earthen or rock-filled. Their faces range in material from steel asphalt to synthetic liners. Different tools are used to monitor and gauge each dam’s overall stability, but daily inspections remain a key way for assessing dam health.
“Our caretakers know these dams,” says Bill. “They notice subtle changes and follow up to make sure they aren’t indicators of bigger issues. Their familiarity with our reservoirs and their dedication is what really keeps our dams in excellent shape.”
Preventative maintenance keeps our dams functioning well. This winter, we’ll begin rehabilitation of South Catamount Reservoir’s dam. Its steel face -- twice the surface area of Crystal Creek Reservoir’s face -- will be resurfaced and coated with a durable sealant, and the dam’s infrastructure will be replaced.
The project will take approximately two years to complete, but will help preserve the 87-year-old dam for many more decades to come.
“These dams have been excellently cared for over the years and have many years of service still in them if we continue to take care of them,” says Bill.