Lowell Creek

About Lowell Creek

The primary purpose of Lowell Creek 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 Seward (local government). It impounds the Lowell Creek near Seward.

The dam stands 34 feet tall and stretches 450 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 50 acre-feet. Completed in 1945, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.

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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 10/21/2010. That was 15 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

At 34 feet, this dam is taller than 80% 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 Alaska 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.