Mitchell Dam

About Mitchell Dam

The primary purpose of Mitchell Dam is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Dr Roy Mitchell (private). It impounds the Tr Meramec River near Cook Station.

The dam stands 31 feet tall, creates a reservoir covering 29 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 481 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 692 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. The most recent inspection on record was 08/20/1979. That was 46 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

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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