Gs Dd No 117

About Gs Dd No 117

The primary purpose of Gs Dd No 117 is debris control. The dam is designed to catch sediment, rocks, and debris carried by flowing water — particularly important in areas prone to mudslides or heavy erosion. The dam is owned by Wakarusa Wjd No 35 (local government). It impounds the Wakarusa River-tr near Richland.

The dam stands 28 feet tall and stretches 945 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 19 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 514 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1990, the structure is 36 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this 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.

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