Bumping Lake Dam

About Bumping Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Bumping Lake 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 Bureau Of Reclamation (federal). It impounds the Bumping River near Goose Prairie.

The dam stands 61 feet tall and stretches 3,125 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 1,303 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 35,400 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 68 square miles. Completed in 1910, the structure is over a century 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 08/18/2020.

At 61 feet, this dam is taller than 95% 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 Washington dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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