Nilson Dam

Nilson Dam is an earth dam located in Keya Paha County, Nebraska, built in 1980. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.

About Nilson Dam

The primary purpose of Nilson Dam is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by West Rio Land & Cattle Company (private). It impounds the Tr-keya Paha River near Mills.

The dam stands 63 feet tall and stretches 641 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 14 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 323 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1980, the structure is 46 years old.

This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. The most recent inspection on record was 05/15/2019.

At 63 feet, this dam is taller than 96% of all dams in the United States.

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Low HazardSatisfactory ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Not Required

Location

StateNebraska
CountyKeya Paha
Nearest CityMills
River/StreamTr-keya Paha River
Coordinates42.98062, -99.58340

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height63 ft
Dam Height63 ft
Dam Length641 ft
Year Completed1980 (46 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage323 acre-ft
Max Storage323 acre-ft
Normal Storage191 acre-ft
Surface Area14 acres
Drainage Area1 sq mi
Max Discharge88 cfs

Ownership & Safety

PurposeIrrigation
OwnerWest Rio Land & Cattle Company
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentSatisfactory
Last Inspection05/15/2019
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDNE01738
Federal IDNE01738
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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