Just before the turn of the 20th century, most of Denver’s water was supplied by a snaking system of canals and gravel ditches that picked up water from either the South Platte River or Cherry Creek.
While the supply was sufficient for the population at the time, the city’s founding fathers knew that more settlers were destined to come to what was quickly becoming a Western mecca.
And they would want water.
Lots of it.
“It was growth, but it was also survival that drove the construction of Cheesman Dam,” said Mick McAllister, with Denver Water’s public affairs department. “One of the consulting engineers said, ‘If Denver puts all of its water eggs – so to speak – in the Cherry Creek basket, it will not grow.”‘
This year, Denver Water is recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Cheesman Dam and Reservoir, which sits on the boundary of Jefferson and Douglas counties.
Not only does the dam play a major role in delivering water to the utility’s 1.1 million customers, it has major historic and architectural significance, historians say.
Consider this: At the time construction was completed in 1905, the dam was the tallest in the world, measuring 212 feet.
The dam is also structurally unique in that it was designed as both a gravity dam and an arch dam. The two styles of dams utilize different engineering principles, which caused some to question its long-term durability.
But utility officials say the dam has held up remarkably well, earning accolades from several professional groups such as the American Society of Civil Engineers.
“Cheesman Dam is … of such historical significance and contemporary importance that it should never be forgotten, but placed side by side with other national and historical landmarks of the engineering profession,” according to the group, which named the dam a national landmark in 1973.
Today, Denver Water’s staff frequently refers to Cheesman as the “workhorse” of the utility’s reservoir system, capable of storing up to 26 billion gallons of water.
“It’s a very significant reservoir,” said Beth Roman, a source analyst for the utility. “The reason is because we have such old water rights there, so we never have any problems filling it up.”
The reservoir nearly succumbed to the disastrous 2002 Hayman fire, the largest recorded wildfire in Colorado.
“At the time, I thought, ‘There’s no way (it could ever reach the reservoir),”‘ said Eddie Christensen, a district foreman in the South Platte River area. “It’s 30 to 40 miles away. But once we started to see embers floating our way, we knew it was going to be bad.”
Since the fire, the reservoir has been closed to recreation while crews continue to rehabilitate the charred landscape.
Christensen said he expects that work to continue for years, but that doesn’t mean Cheesman will ever fail to deliver for Denver Water.
“It’s kind of been a showpiece for Denver Water,” Christensen said. “It was then, and it is today.”
Staff writer Kim McGuire can be reached at 303-820-1240 or kmcguire@denverpost.com.