Paonia Dam

Paonia Dam is a dam in Gunnison County, Colorado.

The earthen dam was a project of the United States Bureau of Reclamation. Built between 1959 and 1962 for irrigation storage, it stands 199 feet high and 770 feet across at its crest.

The lake it creates, Paonia Reservoir, has a surface area of 334 acres with a total capacity of 20,950 acre feet and a normal capacity of 18,150 acre feet and a normal elevation of 1968 m. The recreational facilities of Paonia State Park include campsites, picnic sites and a boat ramp. Geologic formations from the Cretaceous and Paleocene periods are visible in the park, along with fossilized palm fronds and leaf imprints. Park uplands are gambel oak shrublands along with mixed conifer and aspen forests. Commonly seen wildlife includes, mule deer, elk, cottontail rabbit and marmot.