Cherry Creek Dam

Cherry Creek Dam
Name	Cherry Creek Dam
Location	Arapahoe County, Colorado
Country	United States
Status	Operational
Owner	United States Army Corps of Engineers
Dam type	Earthfill
Dam height	130 ft
Dam length	10,000 ft
Opening	1950s
Reservoir	Cherry Creek Reservoir
Reservoir capacity total	170,000 acre-feet

Cherry Creek Dam is an earthfill flood-control and water-storage structure in Arapahoe County, Colorado, operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and located near Aurora, Colorado, Denver and Englewood, Colorado. The project was authorized as part of post-World War II flood control initiatives tied to broader regional development in the South Platte River basin and was constructed during an era of major federal public works alongside projects like the Hoover Dam and programs administered by the Civilian Conservation Corps and later agencies. The impoundment created by the project forms Cherry Creek Reservoir, which integrates municipal water supply, flood mitigation, recreation, and habitat functions central to the Front Range (Colorado) urban corridor.

History

Planning for the Cherry Creek flood-control project emerged after significant flooding events that affected the South Platte River valley and municipalities including Denver, Aurora, Colorado, and Commerce City, Colorado. The authorization followed federal legislation and efforts by agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation, reflecting nationwide investment trends in the Flood Control Act of 1944 and postwar infrastructure priorities tied to regional growth driven by the Colorado Gold Rush legacy and 20th-century urbanization. Local stakeholders—municipal officials from Denver Water, county governments in Arapahoe County, Colorado and Adams County, Colorado, and civic groups—negotiated land acquisition and reservoir operations. Construction proceeded in the 1950s amid broader transportation and development projects including nearby Interstate 225 corridors and water management plans that connected to the South Platte River Basin Compact discussions.

Design and construction

The dam was designed as an earthfill embankment employing engineering techniques developed in mid-20th-century Army Corps practice, influenced by precedent works such as Garrison Dam and Fort Peck Dam. Engineering consultants and contractors coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District and regional offices to site the facility within the Cherry Creek (South Platte River tributary) valley. Construction used locally sourced materials, heavy-equipment fleets similar to those employed on the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, and staging areas adjacent to Aurora Reservoir infrastructure. Structural components include an impervious core, upstream facing, filter zones and drainage systems akin to other Corps earthfill designs; outlet works incorporate gates and conduits compatible with regional water supply operators such as Denver Water and municipal systems in Aurora, Colorado.

Specifications and operations

The embankment rises approximately 130 feet with a crest length of roughly 10,000 feet, creating a reservoir with a gross storage capacity on the order of 170,000 acre-feet at maximum pool; these figures align with Corps reporting practices for projects in the South Platte River watershed. Spillway and outlet works are sized to pass design flood events derived from historical hydrology datasets collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and modeled with standards informed by the National Weather Service and flood-frequency analyses. Operational regimes balance flood risk reduction for downstream communities such as Denver and Aurora with municipal supply agreements involving entities like Aurora Water and intergovernmental compacts administered at the state level by the Colorado Water Conservation Board. Routine maintenance, inspection, and emergency action planning involve coordination with Arapahoe County, Colorado emergency management and federal safety guidelines promulgated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Reservoir and watershed

Cherry Creek Reservoir impounds runoff from a watershed that drains portions of the Rocky Mountains eastern foothills and High Plains transition, contributing to the South Platte River system that ultimately flows through North Platte River and Missouri River corridors. Watershed land uses include urbanizing suburbs of Aurora, Colorado, agricultural tracts in Arapahoe County, Colorado, and riparian corridors that support species common to the Plains (United States) ecoregion. Hydrologic inputs reflect snowmelt patterns controlled by Rocky Mountain snowpack dynamics and precipitation regimes influenced by El Niño–Southern Oscillation variability. The reservoir functions as a multipurpose basin for seasonal storage, managed releases, and sediment trapping; sedimentation trends are monitored using techniques recommended by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Environmental Protection Agency's regional programs.

Recreation and public use

Cherry Creek Reservoir and adjacent lands are managed for public recreation, with facilities for boating, angling, picnicking, and trails paralleling amenities found at other Corps-managed sites such as Cherry Creek State Park (Colorado) and Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. Recreational fish species and management strategies align with Colorado Parks and Wildlife stocking programs, while visitor services coordinate with local tourism promoted by Visit Denver and municipal parks departments in Aurora, Colorado. Trail networks connect to regional greenways that integrate with urban trail systems in Denver and South Platte River Trail corridors, supporting bicycling, birdwatching linked to Audubon Society initiatives, and interpretive programs highlighting hydrology and regional history.

Environmental and ecological impacts

The project produced ecological trade-offs typical of mid-century reservoir construction: creation of new lacustrine habitat altered preexisting riparian and lotic environments that supported species of the Great Plains and South Platte River basin. Impounded waters and managed flows affect native fish assemblages, water temperature regimes, and seasonal connectivity for taxa that historically used upstream-downstream corridors. Mitigation efforts and habitat restoration projects have involved agencies including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and state-level partners like Colorado Parks and Wildlife to address invasive species issues, wetland mitigation, and riparian revegetation. Ongoing monitoring addresses water quality parameters regulated under standards influenced by the Clean Water Act and assessments coordinated with the Environmental Protection Agency and state environmental programs.

Category:Dams in Colorado