Glen Elder Downs Protective Dike

About Glen Elder Downs Protective Dike

The primary purpose of Glen Elder Downs Protective Dike 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 Bureau Of Reclamation (federal).

The dam stands 90 feet tall and stretches 17,900 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 13,500 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,128,740 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2,520 square miles. Completed in 1969, 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 05/06/2021.

At 90 feet, this dam is taller than 98% 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 Kansas dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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