Des Moines-center Street Milldam is a gravity dam located in Polk County, Iowa, built in 1916. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 11 ft11 ft tall and 417 ft long. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic concrete gravity section and the water level is illustrative.
About Des Moines-center Street Milldam
The primary purpose of Des Moines-center Street Milldam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by City of Des Moines (local government). It impounds the Des Moines River near Des Moines.
The dam stands 11 feet tall and stretches 417 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 355 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 2,731 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 6,245 square miles. Completed in 1916, the structure is over a century old.
This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. The most recent inspection on record was 10/04/1961. That was over 65 years ago.
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Location
| State | Iowa |
| County | Polk |
| Nearest City | Des Moines |
| River/Stream | Des Moines River |
| Coordinates | 41.59160, -93.61850 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Gravity |
| NID Height | 11 ft |
| Dam Height | 11 ft |
| Dam Length | 417 ft |
| Year Completed | 1916 (110 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 2,731 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 2,731 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 1,947 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 355 acres |
| Drainage Area | 6,245 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | City of Des Moines |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 10/04/1961 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IA01286 |
| Federal ID | IA01286 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |