OMAHA, Neb. – An unscheduled, inadvertent release from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District’s Cherry Creek Dam southeast of Denver occurred 9:30 MDT Friday morning. The releases lasted approximately 30 minutes at a rate of 1,000 cubic feet per second. For comparison, a routine high-release flush is conducted biennially at Cherry Creek with a release rate of 1,300 cfs for a four-hour period.
Known damages include minor flooding at the golf course just downstream of the dam. No other damage is expected as the water should be contained within the stream bank.
The cause of the incident is under investigation.
Release no. 21-041