Flagler Reservoir has been closed by heavy rains that have caused water to breach the spillway and flood roads in the area.
The closure is ordered to address safety concerns created by the flooding, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a news release.
Flagler Reservoir, in the Flagler Reservoir State Wildlife Area, will be closed indefinitely, the CPW said.
“We are closing it to protect the public,” CPW Director Jeff Davis said in the release. “It is not safe to drive on the county road that crosses the dam. And CPW is concerned about the houses below the dam in the event we get more rain in the area later this week, as forecast.”
Flagler Reservoir is a part of the 400-acre wildlife area located about five miles east of the town of Flagler. The reservoir is north of Interstate 70 in Kit Carson County.
The reservoir was drained in August 2017 under a release order from the Colorado Division of Water Resources, according to the release. The gate on the dam has remained open and the reservoir empty, except when locally heavy rains fill it temporarily. A similar closure was ordered by CPW in July 2022 after heavy rain and flooding.
