Big Sandy Dam (National Inventory of Dams ID WY01387) is a dam in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, about ten miles north of Farson.

Big Sandy Dam
Big Sandy Dam is located in Wyoming
Big Sandy Dam
Location of Big Sandy Dam in Wyoming
CountryUnited States
LocationUpper Colorado River Basin
Coordinates42°15′01″N 109°25′42″W / 42.2503°N 109.4283°W / 42.2503; -109.4283
PurposeIrrigation
StatusOperational
Construction beganJuly 1941 (1941-07)
Opening date1952 (1952)
Built byUnited States Bureau of Reclamation
Operator(s)Eden Valley Irrigation and Drainage District
Dam and spillways
Type of damEarth fill dam
ImpoundsBig Sandy River
Height (foundation)85 feet (26 m)
Elevation at crest6,769 feet (2,063 m)
Dam volume840,000 cubic yards (640,000 m3)
Spillway capacity7,350 cubic feet per second (208 m3/s)
Reservoir
CreatesBig Sandy Reservoir
Total capacity38,300 acre-feet (47,200 ML)
Surface area2,500 acres (1,000 ha)

The earthen dam impounds the Big Sandy River and stands 85 feet high. It was built from 1941 to 1952 by the United States Bureau of Reclamation as part of its Eden Project for irrigation storage. No hydroelectric power is generated here. The dam is operated by the local Eden Valley Irrigation and Drainage District.[1]

Big Sandy Reservoir has a surface area of about 2,500 acres (10 km2) and contains a maximum capacity of 38,300 acre-feet (47 million cubic meters). The lake allows for boating, camping and fishing recreation with primitive facilities.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Project details - Eden Project - Bureau of Reclamation". Archived from the original on 2012-09-21. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
  2. ^ "Big Sandy Reservoir, Wyoming".