Lake Tonkawa Dam

Lake Tonkawa Dam is an earth dam located in Leon County, Texas, built in 1971. It carries a High hazard potential classification.

About Lake Tonkawa Dam

The primary purpose of Lake Tonkawa Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Property Owners Association Of Hilltop Lakes Inc (private). It impounds the Running Creek near Normangee.

The dam stands 47 feet tall and stretches 700 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 75 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,900 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 square miles. Completed in 1971, 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 11/05/2018. That was 7 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

At 47 feet, this dam is taller than 92% 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.

Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.

High HazardNot Rated ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Yes

Location

StateTexas
CountyLeon
Nearest CityNormangee
River/StreamRunning Creek
Coordinates31.06218, -96.19864

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height47 ft
Dam Height42 ft
Dam Length700 ft
Year Completed1971 (55 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage1,900 acre-ft
Max Storage1,900 acre-ft
Normal Storage976 acre-ft
Surface Area75 acres
Drainage Area2 sq mi
Max Discharge1,782 cfs
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerPROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION OF HILLTOP LAKES INC
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentNot Rated
Last Inspection11/05/2018
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDTX02425
Federal IDTX02425
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

Nearby Dams