Douglas Island Dam

About Douglas Island Dam

Douglas Island Dam is a dam in City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska. The dam is owned by City Of Juneau (local government). It impounds the Bear Creek near Douglas.

The dam stands 26 feet tall and stretches 91 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 0 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 3 acre-feet. Completed in 1937, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.

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 07/27/2020.

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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