Dickinson Dam

About Dickinson Dam

The primary purpose of Dickinson Dam is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Bureau Of Reclamation (federal). It impounds the Heart River near Dickinson.

The dam stands 65 feet tall and stretches 2,275 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 2,158 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 26,462 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 401 square miles. Completed in 1950, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.

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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 09/01/2022.

At 65 feet, this dam is taller than 96% 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 North Dakota dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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