John Martin Dam - Fort Lyon Protective Works

About John Martin Dam - Fort Lyon Protective Works

The primary purpose of John Martin Dam - Fort Lyon Protective Works is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Usace - Albuquerque District (federal). It impounds the Arkansas near Lamar.

The dam stands 118 feet tall and stretches 1,024 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 11,590 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 608,245 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 18,130 square miles. Completed in 1943, 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 09/01/2019.

At 118 feet, this dam is taller than 98% of all dams in the United States.

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 Colorado dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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