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Taylor Park Dam
Taylor Park Dam, Colorado

Statistics

General

  • Region (Map) : ................... Upper Colorado
  • State (Map) ......................... Colorado
  • County ................................ Gunnsion
  • Project: ................................ Uncompahgre
  • Dam type: ........................... Zoned earthfill
  • Location: ............................ 10 mi N of Gunnison
  • Watercourse: ..................... Taylor River
  • Reservoir: ........................... Taylor Park
  • Construction Date: ............1935-1937
  • National ID Number .......... CO00151
  • Hydrologic Unit Code .....

Dimensions

Hydraulics

  • Normal Water Surface Elev: ............... 9330.0 ft
  • Hydraulic Height: ................................   168.0 ft
  • Service Spillway Type:
  •    Uncontrolled  Crest   ................................ Yes
  •    Morning-Glory ........................................... No
  •    Crest Length    ........................................ 180 ft
  •    Gated      ....................................................... No
  •    Capacity at Elev: 9336.0 ft,             10 ,000 cfs
  • Auxiliary Spillway ......................................... No
  •     Capacity at Elev.   .................................. 0 cfs
  • Outlet Works Capacity at
  •     Elevation:  9330.0 ft.,  ......................1,500 cfs

Hydrology

  • Drainage Area: ................................ 254.0 sq mi
  • Hydrometeorological Report               HMR 49
  • Flood Type: .................................. June General
  • Storm Duration: ........................................ 72 hrs
  • Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) Report:
  •   Peak Inflow: ..................................... 65,700 cfs
  •   Inflow Volume: ........................ 221,000 acre-ft
  •   Flow Duration: .................................... 15 days
  •   PMF Routing MWS Elev.: ............... 9352.6 ft
  •   Initial Routing Elev: ........................... 9330.0 ft
  •   Study Date: ............................. December 1984

Power Generation

 

Narration

 

Geology

The Taylor Park damsite is on the western flank of the Sawatch Mountains.  It is characterized by complexly folded and faulted Precambrian rocks unconformably overlain by Paleozoic sediments.  During the Laramide Orogeny, the area was subjected to uplift, folding, and thrust faulting.  Renewed movement, probably during the Miocene period, dissected the area with a series of highangle normal faults.  The last major process to affect the area was glaciation which modified the preexisting erosional valleys by additionally carving or filling them with debris. 

The dam is founded on highly jointed bedrock,  alluvial deposits, and some talus cone material.  The left abutment is composed of Precambrian metamorphic rock, predominantly phyllites or finegrained schists with nearly vertical structural attitude.  The right abutment is founded in Paleozoic folded sedimentary rocks composed of sandstone, overlain by quartzites and dolomitic limestone.  The contact between the two formations occurs at the base of the right abutment as a fault zone.  The fault zone, investigated by borings, test excavations and  tunnels, consisted of a crushed zone several feet wide, with material altered to a soft gouge due to weathering.  Much of this material was removed during construction activities.  Several small secondary faults with minor crushed zones were also uncovered during the foundation excavation.

 The alluvial materials are found above the phyllite, under the downstream embankment shell, from about 75 feet downstream of centerline to the downstream toe.  Material is predominately well graded to poorly graded gravel with varying amounts of silt, sand and cobbles.  In this area, the foundation was not stripped to bedrock.

Links

 | Recreation |

 | Dams Located by State | USBR Colorado Dams | Upper Colorado Region Dams |

 | Owner:  Bureau of Reclamation, Western Colorado Area Office,
                   PO Box 60340, Grand Junction, CO 81506-0340, (970) 248-0690

 | Operator:  Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association,
                       PO Box 69, Montrose, CO 81402, (970) 249-3813

 
 

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