Dairy Barn Lake Dam

About Dairy Barn Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Dairy Barn Lake Dam is fire protection, stock, or small fish pond. The dam maintains a small impoundment used for fire suppression, livestock watering, or as a fish pond. The dam is owned by King Ranch Inc (private). It impounds the Santa Gertrudis Creek near Kingsville.

The dam stands 21 feet tall and stretches 1,360 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 145 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 4,922 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 408 square miles. Completed in 1937, 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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 11/08/2023.

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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