Upper Brushy Creek Ws Scs Site 18 Dam

About Upper Brushy Creek Ws Scs Site 18 Dam

The primary purpose of Upper Brushy Creek Ws Scs Site 18 Dam 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 Taylor Swcd;upper Brushy Creek Wcid (local government). It impounds the Carmel Creek near Hutto.

The dam stands 36 feet tall and stretches 2,370 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 33 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,753 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 square miles. Completed in 1960, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 06/21/2022.

At 36 feet, this dam is taller than 83% 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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