Corn Creek
Corn Creek is an earth dam located in Mellette County, South Dakota. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a unsatisfactory condition assessment.
About Corn Creek
The primary purpose of Corn Creek is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Bia (federal). It impounds the Corn Creek.
The dam stands 20 feet tall and stretches 550 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 46 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 557 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 37 square miles.
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 unsatisfactory, indicating serious safety deficiencies exist that require immediate attention or remedial action. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 06/23/2023.
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 | Mellette |
| Nearest City | None |
| River/Stream | Corn Creek |
| Coordinates | 43.56490, -101.20400 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 20 ft |
| Dam Height | 20 ft |
| Dam Length | 550 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 557 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 557 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 197 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 46 acres |
| Drainage Area | 37 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 4,000 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Owner | BIA |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Unsatisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 06/23/2023 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | SD01466 |
| Federal ID | SD01466 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |