Trail Creek Dam

About Trail Creek Dam

Trail Creek Dam is a dam in Blaine, Idaho. The dam is private-owned. It impounds the Trail Creek Big Wood River near Sun Valley.

The dam stands 23 feet tall and stretches 385 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 6 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 81 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 62 square miles. Completed in 1937, 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. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 11/05/2019.

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

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