Carl Strawn Detention Dam

About Carl Strawn Detention Dam

The primary purpose of Carl Strawn Detention Dam is fire protection, stock, or small fish pond. The dam maintains a small impoundment used for fire suppression, livestock watering, or as a fish pond. The dam is owned by Strawn, Carl & Audrey (private). It impounds the Arkansas River-tr near Ingalls.

The dam stands 27 feet tall and stretches 530 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 10 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 355 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 square miles.

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 12/27/2006. That was 19 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

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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