Manatee Cooling Water Reservoir

Manatee Cooling Water Reservoir is an earth dam located in Manatee County, Florida, built in 1975. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.

About Manatee Cooling Water Reservoir

Manatee Cooling Water Reservoir is a dam in Manatee, Florida. The dam is owned by Florida Power & Light Company (private). It impounds the Little Manatee River near Parrish.

The dam stands 79 feet tall and stretches 48,000 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 3,800 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 52,000 acre-feet. Completed in 1975, 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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam.

At 79 feet, this dam is taller than 97% 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 Florida 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.

High HazardSatisfactory ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Yes

Location

StateFlorida
CountyManatee
Nearest CityParrish
River/StreamLittle Manatee River
Coordinates27.63505, -82.33107

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height79 ft
Dam Height79 ft
Dam Length48,000 ft
Year Completed1975 (51 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage52,000 acre-ft
Max Storage52,000 acre-ft
Normal Storage23,000 acre-ft
Surface Area3,800 acres
Max Discharge1,965 cfs

Ownership & Safety

PurposeOther
OwnerFLORIDA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentSatisfactory
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDFL00642
Federal IDFL00642
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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