Kadoka (nid)

About Kadoka (nid)

The primary purpose of Kadoka (nid) is fish and wildlife pond. The dam creates habitat for fish and wildlife, supporting local ecosystems and potentially serving conservation goals. The dam is owned by Usda Fs (federal). It impounds the White Willow Creek near Pierre.

The dam stands 28 feet tall and stretches 1,175 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 255 acres, and has a storage capacity of 1,590 acre-feet. Completed in 1930, 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 05/17/2012. That was 13 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

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.

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