Norris Slurry Impoundment

Norris Slurry Impoundment is an earth dam located in Fulton County, Illinois, built in 1955. It carries a High hazard potential classification.

About Norris Slurry Impoundment

Norris Slurry Impoundment is a dam in Fulton, Illinois. The dam is owned by Chad Herman (private). It impounds the Big Creek-offstream near Norris.

The dam stands 50 feet tall and stretches 5,280 feet across, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,000 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1955, 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 09/09/2025.

At 50 feet, this dam is taller than 93% 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 Illinois 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 HazardNot Available ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Yes

Location

StateIllinois
CountyFulton
Nearest CityNorris
River/StreamBig Creek-offstream
Coordinates40.62641, -90.04851

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height50 ft
Dam Height50 ft
Dam Length5,280 ft
Year Completed1955 (71 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage1,000 acre-ft
Max Storage1,000 acre-ft
Normal Storage800 acre-ft
Drainage Area0 sq mi
Max Discharge10 cfs
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeOther
OwnerCHAD HERMAN
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentNot Available
Last Inspection09/09/2025
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDIL50367
Federal IDIL50367
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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