Field Trip! A Tour of Rueter-Hess Reservoir

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Our latest staff meeting included a tour of Rueter-Hess Reservoir in Douglas County, Colorado. RJH led design and
provided construction engineering services for the 196-foot-tall embankment dam, which was completed in 2013.

The field trip consisted of stops at the 200-foot-tall intake tower, five-cycle labyrinth spillway, and terminal facilities.
Scroll through the photos below for more information about our visit!

Thank you to Jarod Baylie and the Parker Water and Sanitation District for hosting us!

Rueter-Hess Reservoir is the largest non-Federal dam to be constructed in Colorado in the last 30 years.
Doug Neighbors (RJH Principal and Lead Civil Design Engineer for Rueter-Hess Reservoir) leads a discussion from the intake tower.
The intake tower was constructed with three chambers to manage controlled operational releases.
Recreational activities have recently opened at the reservoir and are expected to expand to fishing opportunities in the near future.
Tom MacDougall (RJH Principal and Project Geotechnical Engineer for Rueter-Hess Reservoir) answers questions from RJH colleagues.
The reservoir is impounded by a 14 million cubic yard zoned earthen embankment.
The labyrinth spillway includes a 6,000-foot-long downstream channel.
Doug Neighbors (RJH Principal and Lead Civil Design Engineer for Rueter-Hess Reservoir) explains gauges at the terminal facilities.
The outlet works system consists of several miles of steel pipe conduits, some as wide as 78 inches.