Douglas County State Lake Dam

About Douglas County State Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Douglas County State Lake Dam is fish and wildlife pond. The dam creates habitat for fish and wildlife, supporting local ecosystems and potentially serving conservation goals. The dam is owned by Kansas Dept Of Wildlife Parks & Tourism (state). It impounds the Coal Creek near Sibleyville.

The dam stands 70 feet tall and stretches 2,280 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 180 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 6,150 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 3 square miles. Completed in 1961, 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. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 06/08/2022.

At 70 feet, this dam is taller than 96% 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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