Gillespie

About Gillespie

The primary purpose of Gillespie is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Gillespie Dam Investments, Llc (private). It impounds the Gila River near Gila Bend.

The dam stands 66 feet tall and stretches 1,768 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 80 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 3,600 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 4,965 square miles. Completed in 1921, the structure is over a century old.

This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in loss of life. 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 10/25/2023.

At 66 feet, this dam is taller than 96% of all dams in the United States.

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