Colorado Dam Failure in 1933 Caused Massive + Deadly Flood

Colorado has so much history, that it seems near impossible to even scratch the surface regarding events of the past in a regular grade school setting.

Read More: Only a Cemetery Remains in the Colorado Town Destroyed by Flood |

While the 1930s are typically looked back upon as a time of depression and eventually the build-up of World War II, Colorado's Front Range saw a different kind of conflict; one between man and nature that would have tragic results.

Colorado's Old Castlewood Dam Disaster

Originally built in 1890 near Castle Rock, the Castlewood Dam was established on Cherry Creek and for over 40 years, was rather unremarkable.

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However, around 1 a.m. in the early morning of August 3, 1933, a rainstorm that had been pounding precipitation on the area for three days straight finally began to compromise the dam's integrity.

Luckily, most of the people in the area were warned about the dam's imminent collapse and subsequent flooding although, tragically, two lives were lost in the disaster.

Upon the dam failing, a wall of water 15 feet tall rushed down Cherry Creek all the way to Denver, an estimated 15-mile trip.

Colorado's Castlewood Dam Today

As you can imagine, little of the failed dam is left today, although some of the ruins still stand at what is now Castlewood Canyon State Park.

The Park is a popular destination for hiking, running, and rock climbing, and is home to a variety of wildlife and rock formations.

However, despite some of the dam still standing at the park, visitors are highly discouraged from making contact with the ruins in any way.