Meals Lake Dam

About Meals Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Meals Lake Dam is water supply. The dam stores water for municipal, industrial, or agricultural use, helping ensure a reliable supply for the surrounding area. The dam is owned by City Of Cordova (local government). It impounds the Eccles Creek near Cordova.

The dam stands 23 feet tall and stretches 207 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 9 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 65 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1972, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 10/16/2017. That was 8 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Alaska dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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