Soldier Creek Dam

About Soldier Creek Dam

The primary purpose of Soldier Creek Dam is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Department Of The Interior (federal). It impounds the Strawberry River near Duchesne.

The dam stands 272 feet tall and stretches 1,290 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 17,163 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,106,500 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 213 square miles. Completed in 1974, 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 06/08/2021.

At 272 feet, this dam is taller than 99% 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 Utah dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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