Upper East Fk Laterals Ws Scs Site 10 Dam

About Upper East Fk Laterals Ws Scs Site 10 Dam

The primary purpose of Upper East Fk Laterals Ws Scs Site 10 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 Kaufman County;kaufman Van Zandt Rockwall Swcd (local government). It impounds the Tr-buffalo Creek.

The dam stands 39 feet tall and stretches 2,150 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 27 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,631 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 square miles. Completed in 1956, 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 12/12/2018. That was 7 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

At 39 feet, this dam is taller than 86% 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.