Cheesman Dam: 1905-2005
A Century of Service

Named for Denver water pioneer Walter Scott Cheesman, Cheesman Dam was the world’s tallest at 221 feet when it was completed in 1905. Cheesman was the first reservoir of Denver’s mountain storage facilities. From this small but visionary beginning grew the Denver Water system.

In 1973 the dam was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. It remains, after a hundred years, the workhorse of the storage system and jewel among the system's dams, a monument to thoughtful planning and wise water use.

The pages listed above tell the story of building this historic landmark.