Wooten Lake Dam

Wooten Lake Dam is a rockfill dam located in Miller County, Arkansas, built in 1963. It carries a High hazard potential classification.

About Wooten Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Wooten Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Robert And Carolyn Nichols (private). It impounds the Forky Deer Creek near Lakewood Estates.

The dam stands 31 feet tall and stretches 860 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 15 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 198 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1963, 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. The most recent inspection on record was 01/01/2000. That was 26 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

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 Arkansas 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.

High HazardNot Rated ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Not Required

Location

StateArkansas
CountyMiller
Nearest CityLakewood Estates
River/StreamForky Deer Creek
Coordinates33.42333, -93.95556

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeRockfill
NID Height31 ft
Dam Height31 ft
Dam Length860 ft
Year Completed1963 (63 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage198 acre-ft
Max Storage198 acre-ft
Normal Storage144 acre-ft
Surface Area15 acres
Drainage Area0 sq mi
Max Discharge62 cfs

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerRobert and Carolyn Nichols
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentNot Rated
Last Inspection01/01/2000
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDAR00744
Federal IDAR00744
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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