Tom Steele Dam

About Tom Steele Dam

The primary purpose of Tom Steele Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Tom Steele (private). It impounds the Trib Turkey Hollow Creek near Buffalo, Ia.

The dam stands 59 feet tall and stretches 580 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 19 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 610 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 2005, the structure is relatively new.

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 04/23/2025.

At 59 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 Illinois dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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