White Dam

About White Dam

The primary purpose of White Dam is fire protection, stock, or small fish pond. The dam maintains a small impoundment used for fire suppression, livestock watering, or as a fish pond. The dam is owned by James & Jennifer Powers;phil & Lisa Land Llc (private). It impounds the Blacksmith Creek-tr near Topeka.

The dam stands 21 feet tall and stretches 675 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 2 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 71 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1977, the structure is 49 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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam.

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.

Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.