Windmill Wash Detention Basin Dam

About Windmill Wash Detention Basin Dam

The primary purpose of Windmill Wash Detention Basin 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 Clark County Public Works (local government). It impounds the Virgin River-tr near Bunkerville.

The dam stands 64 feet tall and stretches 2,040 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 20 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 500 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 8 square miles. Completed in 1999, the structure is 27 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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 02/22/2022.

At 64 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 Nevada dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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