Rusk City Lake Dam
Rusk City Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Cherokee County, Texas. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
About Rusk City Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Rusk City Lake Dam is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Keith Isaacs (private). It impounds the College Creek near Rusk.
The dam stands 36 feet tall and stretches 550 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 22 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 298 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles.
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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 11/01/2023.
At 36 feet, this dam is taller than 83% 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.
Location
| State | Texas |
| County | Cherokee |
| Nearest City | Rusk |
| River/Stream | College Creek |
| Coordinates | 31.79676, -95.13167 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 36 ft |
| Dam Height | 36 ft |
| Dam Length | 550 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 298 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 298 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 203 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 22 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 1 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Owner | KEITH ISAACS |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 11/01/2023 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | TX04857 |
| Federal ID | TX04857 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |