Lemon Dam

Lemon Dam is an earthen dam, and is a project of the United States Bureau of Reclamation. It was completed in 1963, at 284 feet (87 m) high and 1,360 feet (410 m) long at its crest.^[2] The dam impounds the Florida River for flood control and irrigation water storage, operated by the local Florida Water Conservancy District. 120 kW of hydroelectric power is generated here.

Lemon Dam
Country	United States
Location	La Plata County, Colorado
Purpose	Irrigation, flood control, hydroelectric generation
Status	Operational
Opening date	1963
Designed by	United States Bureau of Reclamation
Operator(s)	Florida Water Conservancy District
Dam and spillways
Impounds	Florida River
Height	284 ft (87 m)
Length	1,360 ft (410 m)
Reservoir
Creates	Lemon Reservoir
Total capacity	40,145 acre-feet (49,518,000 cubic meters)
Normal elevation	2,478 m (8,130 ft) [1]
Installed capacity	120 kW

Aerial view of the Lemon Reservoir

Lemon Reservoir is about three miles (4.8 km) long, one-half mile (0.8 km) wide, has a total surface area of 622 acres (252 ha) and a total capacity of 40,145 acre-feet (49,518,000 cubic meters).^[3]

Climate

Lemon Dam has a humid continental climate(Köppen Dfb).

Climate data for Lemon Dam, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, 1982-2020 extremes: 8110ft (2472m)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	61 (16)	61 (16)	71 (22)	75 (24)	89 (32)	90 (32)	95 (35)	90 (32)	89 (32)	78 (26)	69 (21)	62 (17)	95 (35)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	50.5 (10.3)	52.2 (11.2)	61.3 (16.3)	68.3 (20.2)	76.6 (24.8)	84.7 (29.3)	88.0 (31.1)	84.8 (29.3)	80.9 (27.2)	72.4 (22.4)	60.7 (15.9)	51.9 (11.1)	88.5 (31.4)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	37.0 (2.8)	39.6 (4.2)	47.1 (8.4)	54.1 (12.3)	63.1 (17.3)	74.7 (23.7)	79.0 (26.1)	76.3 (24.6)	69.9 (21.1)	58.6 (14.8)	46.3 (7.9)	37.3 (2.9)	56.9 (13.8)
Daily mean °F (°C)	23.2 (−4.9)	25.5 (−3.6)	33.2 (0.7)	40.2 (4.6)	49.0 (9.4)	58.6 (14.8)	63.9 (17.7)	61.9 (16.6)	55.6 (13.1)	45.1 (7.3)	34.1 (1.2)	25.2 (−3.8)	43.0 (6.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	9.3 (−12.6)	11.4 (−11.4)	19.3 (−7.1)	26.3 (−3.2)	34.8 (1.6)	42.5 (5.8)	48.7 (9.3)	47.5 (8.6)	41.3 (5.2)	31.6 (−0.2)	21.8 (−5.7)	13.1 (−10.5)	29.0 (−1.7)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	−7.6 (−22.0)	−6.3 (−21.3)	1.5 (−16.9)	13.3 (−10.4)	24.1 (−4.4)	32.0 (0.0)	41.2 (5.1)	40.2 (4.6)	29.6 (−1.3)	18.2 (−7.7)	5.0 (−15.0)	−4.7 (−20.4)	−10.1 (−23.4)
Record low °F (°C)	−19 (−28)	−26 (−32)	−10 (−23)	2 (−17)	15 (−9)	25 (−4)	32 (0)	31 (−1)	22 (−6)	7 (−14)	−8 (−22)	−21 (−29)	−26 (−32)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	2.70 (69)	2.48 (63)	1.97 (50)	1.63 (41)	1.63 (41)	0.95 (24)	3.04 (77)	3.48 (88)	3.43 (87)	2.50 (64)	2.07 (53)	2.41 (61)	28.29 (718)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	29.10 (73.9)	28.50 (72.4)	18.90 (48.0)	9.80 (24.9)	1.70 (4.3)	0.00 (0.00)	0.00 (0.00)	0.00 (0.00)	0.00 (0.00)	3.00 (7.6)	14.10 (35.8)	25.90 (65.8)	131 (332.7)
Source 1: NOAA[4]
Source 2: XMACIS2 (records & monthly max/mins)[5]

See also

• List of largest reservoirs of Colorado