Christmas Tree
Christmas Tree is an earth dam located in Apache County, Arizona, built in 1965. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a unsatisfactory condition assessment.
About Christmas Tree
The primary purpose of Christmas Tree is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Bia (federal). It impounds the Sun Creek & Moon Creek near White River.
The dam stands 49 feet tall and stretches 850 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 36 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 687 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 6 square miles. Completed in 1965, 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 unsatisfactory, indicating serious safety deficiencies exist that require immediate attention or remedial action. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 09/08/2021.
At 49 feet, this dam is taller than 92% of dams nationwide.
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 Arizona dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Arizona |
| County | Apache |
| Nearest City | White River |
| River/Stream | Sun Creek & Moon Creek |
| Coordinates | 33.90970, -109.73710 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 49 ft |
| Dam Height | 45 ft |
| Dam Length | 850 ft |
| Year Completed | 1965 (61 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 687 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 687 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 412 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 36 acres |
| Drainage Area | 6 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 1,870 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | BIA |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Unsatisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 09/08/2021 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | AZ10427 |
| Federal ID | AZ10427 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |