Every Lake
Chatfield Reservoir
Built after the 1965 flood drowned Denver, where the South Platte meets Plum Creek.
- 11 ft · first step
- 21 ft
- 32 ft
- 43 ft
- 53 ft
- 64 ft · bottom
About Chatfield Reservoir
Chatfield Reservoir sits at the confluence of the South Platte River and Plum Creek south of Denver. The Army Corps of Engineers built Chatfield Dam after a June 1965 flood sent Plum Creek and the South Platte over their banks, killing several people and causing major damage across the Denver metro area. Construction finished in the mid-1970s, and the reservoir has operated as a flood-control project ever since, holding back runoff before it can reach the city downstream.
The surrounding land became Chatfield State Park, wedged between Littleton and unincorporated Douglas County. It draws sailors and wakeboarders in a state with few large flatwater lakes, along with anglers working for walleye and wiper. A stretch of shoreline is set aside for hot air balloon launches, and a grass strip nearby hosts radio-controlled model aircraft. Denver's front-range suburbs supply most of the traffic, with commuters and weekend crews trading a mountain view for a reservoir one made deliberately, not by geology.
- 205 roads engraved around the shore, 5 of them labeled
- 6 depth layers, each step engraved with its depth in feet
- Compass rose, title block with coordinates, max depth and area; keyhole hanger on the back
Turn it in your hands
Live 3D of the actual cut files — drag to orbit, pinch to zoom. Every road you see is engraved on the real thing.
Viewer not showing? Open it full screen.
Chatfield Reservoir depth chart, in wood
This is a Chatfield Reservoir depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 11 ft, 21 ft, 32 ft, 43 ft, 53 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 64 ft. The lake covers about 2.1 square miles, and 205 shore roads are engraved around it. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Chatfield Reservoir map for the wall — or a gift
Most of these go to a cabin wall, a lake house entry, or a home office; a lot are gifts — the family that has been on Chatfield Reservoir for three generations, the retirement move, the first boat. The 12-inch is the desk-and-shelf size; the 24- and 30-inch boards read across a room. Add a line under the title and star your place on the shore, and it becomes the map of your Chatfield Reservoir.
Chatfield Reservoir map — the details
How big is the map?
Four sizes: 12, 17, 24 and 30 inches on the long side, from $149. Every size is cut from the same depth data of Chatfield Reservoir; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Chatfield Reservoir is cut layer by layer from published bathymetric soundings — each layer of birch is a depth contour, so the shape of the bottom is the real one, not decorative.
Can I add my own place on it?
Yes. At checkout you can add a line under the title (a family name, a cabin name, a year) and star the spot on the shore that matters to you.
How long does it take?
Made to order in Waterford, Pennsylvania and shipped in 7–10 days; shipping is free in the lower 48.
Can you make a lake that isn't listed?
Any lake in the United States — we hold depth data for 104,419 of them. Search for yours; if it isn't built yet we build it when you order.
- 6 depth layers down to 64 ft
- 2.1 square miles of water
- 205 shore roads engraved, 5 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
