Florence Retarding

About Florence Retarding

The primary purpose of Florence Retarding 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 Florence Area Watershed Flood Control District (private). It impounds the Gila River - Tr near Florence.

The dam stands 21 feet tall and stretches 27,190 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 700 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 11,100 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 70 square miles. Completed in 1965, 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. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 02/20/2024.

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 Arizona dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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