Box Elder Creek Dam

About Box Elder Creek Dam

The primary purpose of Box Elder Creek Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by City Of Plentywood (local government). It impounds the Box Elder Creek near Plentywood.

The dam stands 80 feet tall and stretches 1,800 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 100 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 6,378 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 20 square miles. Completed in 1963, 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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 07/10/2023.

At 80 feet, this dam is taller than 97% of all dams in the United States.

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

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