Cowan Lake Dam East

Cowan Lake Dam East is an earth dam located in Cedar County, Missouri, built in 1960. It carries a High hazard potential classification.

About Cowan Lake Dam East

Cowan Lake Dam East is a dam in Cedar, Missouri. The dam is owned by W.o. Cowan (private). It impounds the Tr-sac River near Osceola.

The dam stands 34 feet tall, creates a reservoir covering 20 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 364 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 180 square miles. Completed in 1960, 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.

At 34 feet, this dam is taller than 80% 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 Missouri 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.

High HazardNot Rated ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Not Required

Location

StateMissouri
CountyCedar
Nearest CityOsceola
River/StreamTr-sac River
Coordinates37.84350, -93.83445

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height34 ft
Dam Height34 ft
Year Completed1960 (66 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage364 acre-ft
Max Storage364 acre-ft
Normal Storage180 acre-ft
Surface Area20 acres
Drainage Area180 sq mi

Ownership & Safety

PurposeOther
OwnerW.O. COWAN
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentNot Rated
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDMO20338
Federal IDMO20338
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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