Lake Miola

About Lake Miola

The primary purpose of Lake Miola is water supply. The dam stores water for municipal, industrial, or agricultural use, helping ensure a reliable supply for the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Paola, City Of (local government). It impounds the Dorsey Branch near Paola.

The dam stands 54 feet tall and stretches 2,100 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 215 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 6,095 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 5 square miles. Completed in 1957, 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 poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 10/24/2018. That was 7 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

At 54 feet, this dam is taller than 94% 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.

Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.