Clinton Dam

About Clinton Dam

The primary purpose of Clinton Dam 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 Usace - Kansas City District (federal). It impounds the Wakarusa River near Eudora.

The dam stands 116 feet tall and stretches 9,250 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 7,000 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 368,700 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 367 square miles. Completed in 1977, the structure is 49 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 01/24/2023.

At 116 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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