Comal River Ws Scs Site 1 Dam

About Comal River Ws Scs Site 1 Dam

The primary purpose of Comal River Ws Scs Site 1 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 City Of New Braunfels;comal County Commissioners Court;comal-guadalupe Swcd;edwards Aquifer Authority (local government). It impounds the West Fork Dry Comal Creek near Comal.

The dam stands 74 feet tall and stretches 2,530 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 18 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 6,763 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 18 square miles. Completed in 1979, the structure is 47 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 04/26/2023.

At 74 feet, this dam is taller than 97% of all dams in the United States.

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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