Sheridan Lake
Sheridan Lake is an earth dam located in Pennington County, South Dakota, built in 1939. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
About Sheridan Lake
The primary purpose of Sheridan Lake is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Usda Fs (federal). It impounds the Spring Creek near Stratasphere Bowl.
The dam stands 134 feet tall and stretches 850 feet across, has a maximum storage capacity of 22,043 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 148 square miles. Completed in 1939, 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 08/14/2018. That was 7 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.
At 134 feet, this dam is taller than 99% 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 South Dakota dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | South Dakota |
| County | Pennington |
| Nearest City | Stratasphere Bowl |
| River/Stream | Spring Creek |
| Coordinates | 43.97528, -103.45066 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 134 ft |
| Dam Height | 134 ft |
| Dam Length | 850 ft |
| Year Completed | 1939 (87 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 22,043 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 22,043 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 13,395 acre-ft |
| Drainage Area | 148 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 24,170 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | USDA FS |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not Rated |
| Last Inspection | 08/14/2018 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | SD01120 |
| Federal ID | SD01120 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |