Kickapoo Lake Dam

About Kickapoo Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Kickapoo Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by City Of Hilltop Lakes (local government). It impounds the Running Creek near Normangee.

The dam stands 22 feet tall and stretches 550 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 16 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 188 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1964, 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 11/06/2018. That was 7 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

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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