Sanderson Canyon Ws Scs Site 11 Dam

About Sanderson Canyon Ws Scs Site 11 Dam

The primary purpose of Sanderson Canyon Ws Scs Site 11 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 Big Bend Swcd;brewster County;pecos County;rio Grande-pecos River Swcd;terrell County;trans Pecos Swcd (local government). It impounds the Three Mile Draw near Sanderson.

The dam stands 70 feet tall and stretches 6,840 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 26 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 4,500 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 35 square miles. Completed in 1986, the structure is 40 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 01/23/2020.

At 70 feet, this dam is taller than 96% 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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