Lake La Verne Dam

About Lake La Verne Dam

The primary purpose of Lake La Verne Dam is debris control. The dam is designed to catch sediment, rocks, and debris carried by flowing water — particularly important in areas prone to mudslides or heavy erosion. The dam is owned by Fred Crouch Farm Inc (private). It impounds the Tr-platte River near Cawood.

The dam stands 30 feet tall, creates a reservoir covering 16 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 257 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 36 square miles. Completed in 1956, 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.

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

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