Nemaha Co State Lake

About Nemaha Co State Lake

The primary purpose of Nemaha Co State Lake is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Kansas Dept Of Wildlife Parks & Tourism (state). It impounds the South Fork Big Nemaha River near Seneca.

The dam stands 45 feet tall and stretches 2,000 feet across, has a maximum storage capacity of 8,025 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 30 square miles. Completed in 1987, the structure is 39 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 01/21/2005. That was 21 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

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 Kansas dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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