Cheesman Dam

Cheesman Dam
The dam in 1926
Location of Cheesman Dam in Colorado
LocationJefferson County, Colorado, USA
Coordinates39°12′27.03″N 105°16′20.05″W / 39.2075083°N 105.2722361°W / 39.2075083; -105.2722361
PurposeWater supply
Opening date1905
Operator(s)Denver Water
Dam and spillways
Type of damMasonry, gravity arch
ImpoundsSouth Platte River
Height221 feet (67 m)
Length735 feet (224 m)
Width (crest)18 feet (5.5 m)
Spillway typeConcrete crest weir
Spillway capacity22,370 cu ft/s (633 m3/s)
Reservoir
Total capacity79,064 acre-feet (0.097524 km3)
Surface area877 acres (355 ha)

Cheesman Dam is a 211-foot-tall (64 m) masonry curved gravity dam on the South Platte River located in Colorado. It was the tallest of its type in the world when completed in 1905. The primary purpose of the dam is water supply and it was named for Colorado businessman, Walter Cheesman. In 1973 it was designated a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. Denver Water purchased the reservoir and related facilities in 1918.