Big Creek Wid Site 14

About Big Creek Wid Site 14

The primary purpose of Big Creek Wid Site 14 is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Big Creek Watershed Improvement District (local government). It impounds the Big Creek-os near Jonesboro.

The dam stands 26 feet tall and stretches 1,360 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 39 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 721 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1969, 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 07/26/2016. That was 9 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 Arkansas dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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