Denison Dam - Platter Dike

About Denison Dam - Platter Dike

The primary purpose of Denison Dam - Platter Dike 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 Usace - Tulsa District (federal). It impounds the Red near Platter.

The dam stands 12 feet tall and stretches 5,200 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 86,910 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 2,459,975 acre-feet. Completed in 1945, 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 11/01/2022.

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

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