Deer Creek Dam No. 1

About Deer Creek Dam No. 1

The primary purpose of Deer Creek Dam No. 1 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 Usda Fs (federal). It impounds the Middle Fork Deer Creek near Cannelton.

The dam stands 45 feet tall and stretches 1,065 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 39 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 2,750 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 6 square miles. Completed in 1978, the structure is 48 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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 10/12/2018. That was 7 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

At 45 feet, this dam is taller than 91% 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 Indiana dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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