Stagecoach Dam facts for kids
The Stagecoach Dam is a very important structure in Colorado, near a town called Steamboat Springs. It's like a giant wall built across the Yampa River. This dam helps hold back water to create a large lake called Stagecoach Reservoir. This reservoir is super useful for many things, like providing water for farms and homes, preventing floods, and even making electricity!
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Stagecoach Dam: A Big Helper for Colorado
Stagecoach Dam is a special kind of dam called a gravity dam. This means it uses its own huge weight to hold back the water. It's built from a strong material called roller-compacted concrete, which is a type of concrete that's pressed down very tightly.
How Big is the Dam?
This dam is quite impressive! It stands about 145 feet (44 meters) tall, which is like a 14-story building. It's also 360 feet (110 meters) long, which is longer than a football field.
What is Stagecoach Reservoir?
The water held back by the dam forms Stagecoach Reservoir. This reservoir can hold a huge amount of water, about 33,700 acre-feet (that's enough water to cover 33,700 acres with one foot of water!). When it's full, the lake covers an area of about 780 acres (316 hectares).
Why Was the Dam Built?
Stagecoach Dam was built for several important reasons:
- Water for Farms: It provides water to help farmers grow their crops, which is called irrigation.
- Drinking Water: It supplies water for people to drink in nearby towns.
- Flood Control: It helps control the river's flow, preventing floods when there's a lot of rain or melting snow.
- Making Electricity: The dam also has a small power station that uses the flowing water to create 800 kilowatts of electricity. This is called hydroelectric power.
Building the Dam: A Quick Job!
The idea for Stagecoach Dam was first talked about in 1983. But once they started building, it was finished incredibly fast! The dam was completed on August 12, 1989, after only 37 days of construction. That's less than two months to build such a big and important structure!
Who Takes Care of the Dam?
The Stagecoach Dam and its reservoir are managed by a group called the Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District. They are responsible for making sure the dam works properly and that the water is used wisely for everyone who needs it.
