James W. Trimble Lock and Dam

James W. Trimble Lock and Dam is a concrete dam located in Sebastian County, Arkansas, built in 1969. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification.

Hazard potentialSignificantFailure could cause major damage
ConditionNot assessed
Emergency action planOn file
Last inspection08/05/2021
Height51 ft
Built196957 years ago

Dam profile

NID height · 51 ft
51 FT TEN-STORY BUILDINGMEDIAN U.S. DAM · 24 FT

51 ft tall and 7,110 ft long, taller than 93% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a ten-story building, about 100 ft; the profile is a generic concrete gravity section and the water level is illustrative.

About James W. Trimble Lock and Dam

The primary purpose of James W. Trimble Lock and Dam is navigation. The dam maintains water levels sufficient for boat and barge traffic, supporting commercial or recreational navigation on the waterway. The dam is owned by USACE - Little Rock District (federal). It impounds the Arkansas near Ozark.

The dam stands 51 feet tall and stretches 7,110 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 6,820 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 59,100 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 150,567 square miles. Completed in 1969, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in loss of life. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 08/05/2021.

At 51 feet, this dam is taller than 93% of dams nationwide.

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Location

StateArkansas
CountySebastian
Nearest CityOzark
River/StreamArkansas
Coordinates35.35060, -94.29714

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeConcrete
NID Height51 ft
Dam Height28 ft
Dam Length7,110 ft
Year Completed1969 (57 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage59,100 acre-ft
Max Storage59,100 acre-ft
Normal Storage53,100 acre-ft
Surface Area6,820 acres
Drainage Area150,567 sq mi
Max Discharge435,000 cfs
Spillway TypeControlled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeNavigation
OwnerUSACE - Little Rock District
Owner TypeFederal
Hazard ClassificationSignificant
Condition AssessmentNot assessed
Last Inspection08/05/2021
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDAR00163
Federal IDAR00163
More InfoState Dam Safety Program