Umbarger Dam

About Umbarger Dam

The primary purpose of Umbarger Dam 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 Us Fish And Wildlife Service (federal). It impounds the Tierra Blanca Creek near Canyon.

The dam stands 43 feet tall and stretches 947 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 970 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 78,920 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 755 square miles. Completed in 1938, 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. Its condition is rated poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 06/20/2017. That was 8 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

At 43 feet, this dam is taller than 89% of dams nationwide.

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

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