Smokey Hollow Subwatershed Site 3

Smokey Hollow Subwatershed Site 3 is an earth dam located in Woodbury County, Iowa, built in 1986. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.

About Smokey Hollow Subwatershed Site 3

The primary purpose of Smokey Hollow Subwatershed Site 3 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 Woodbury County Swcd (local government). It impounds the Tr-smokey Hollow near Smithland.

The dam stands 58 feet tall and stretches 472 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 2 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 258 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1986, the structure is 40 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. The most recent inspection on record was 11/06/2024.

At 58 feet, this dam is taller than 95% 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 Iowa 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

StateIowa
CountyWoodbury
Nearest CitySmithland
River/StreamTr-smokey Hollow
Coordinates42.23570, -95.93700

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height58 ft
Dam Height58 ft
Dam Length472 ft
Year Completed1986 (40 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage258 acre-ft
Max Storage258 acre-ft
Normal Storage18 acre-ft
Surface Area2 acres
Drainage Area0 sq mi
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeFlood Risk Reduction
OwnerWoodbury County SWCD
Owner TypeLocal Government
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentSatisfactory
Last Inspection11/06/2024
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDIA02313
Federal IDIA02313
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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