Prairie Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Jackson County, Kansas, built in 1948. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 50 ft50 ft tall and 1,000 ft long, taller than 92% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a ten-story building, about 100 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Prairie Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Prairie Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Holton, City of (local government). It impounds the Elk Creek-tr near Larkinburg.
The dam stands 50 feet tall and stretches 1,000 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 48 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,022 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1948, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.
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. Its condition is rated poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. The most recent inspection on record was 01/04/2011. That was over 15 years ago.
At 50 feet, this dam is taller than 92% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Kansas |
| County | Jackson |
| Nearest City | Larkinburg |
| River/Stream | Elk Creek-tr |
| Coordinates | 39.48670, -95.68580 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 50 ft |
| Dam Height | 35 ft |
| Dam Length | 1,000 ft |
| Year Completed | 1948 (78 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 1,022 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 1,022 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 676 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 48 acres |
| Drainage Area | 1 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 2,952 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Holton, City of |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 01/04/2011 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | KS02482 |
| Federal ID | KS02482 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |