Barber State Fishing Lake

About Barber State Fishing Lake

The primary purpose of Barber State Fishing Lake is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Kansas Dept Of Wildlife Parks & Tourism (state). It impounds the Elm Creek-tr near Medicine Lodge.

The dam stands 54 feet tall and stretches 1,325 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 77 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,900 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 3 square miles. Completed in 1954, 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 poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 06/14/2022.

At 54 feet, this dam is taller than 94% of dams nationwide.

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

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