Escondido Creek Ws Scs Site 8 Dam

About Escondido Creek Ws Scs Site 8 Dam

The primary purpose of Escondido Creek Ws Scs Site 8 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 Escondido Watershed District;karnes County Swcd;san Antonio River Authority (local government). It impounds the Olmos Creek near Kenedy.

The dam stands 40 feet tall and stretches 2,063 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 59 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 2,394 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 3 square miles. Completed in 1957, 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 03/09/2021.

At 40 feet, this dam is taller than 87% 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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