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Board approves $1.2 million dam‑safety grant for Kolob Creek Dam spillway work
Summary
The Utah Board of Water Resources approved an 80% dam‑safety grant, up to $1,200,000, for Kolob Creek (Kolob) Dam to replace a damaged spillway; staff said the spillway replacement is the immediate safety priority while further improvements will follow as funds allow.
The Utah Board of Water Resources unanimously approved a dam‑safety grant June 26 to cover 80% of the cost to replace the damaged spillway at Kolob Creek Dam in Washington County, up to $1,200,000.
Tom Cox, project manager for the Division of Water Resources, told the board the dam — built in 1956 and rated "high hazard" by the Division of Water Rights because of the potential for loss of life and property if it fails — does not meet current minimum safety standards. Cox said sinkholes discovered around the spillway in April 2024 revealed uplift and damage to the spillway structure; grout was placed temporarily under voids to allow reservoir operation for the season under an agreement with the Division of Water Rights Dam Safety Office.
Cox said the dam stores about 5,586 acre‑feet, is roughly 61 feet high and 686 feet long, and that the immediate need is to replace the spillway this year. The total estimated cost to address the spillway was presented at approximately $1,500,000; staff recommended an 80% grant up to $1,200,000. The board approved the recommendation on a motion and second, with no public comments submitted online on this item.
Board members praised rapid response by dam safety staff and noted that while it would be more cost‑effective to complete all needed work at once, current fund availability only covers the spillway work now. Cox said additional embankment, outlet works and seepage remediation will be addressed when the state dam safety priority list and funding permit.
Why it matters: Kolob Creek Dam is classified "high hazard" because of downstream risk; replacing the spillway addresses an imminent safety deficiency identified by state dam safety staff. The board’s grant reduces the local funding burden for an urgent repair.
What’s next: The applicant and state dam safety office will proceed with design and construction of the spillway replacement in 2025; remaining work to bring the dam to minimum safety standards will be scheduled as funds permit.
