Bayer Pond Dam

About Bayer Pond Dam

The primary purpose of Bayer Pond Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Manhattan, City Of (private). It impounds the Kansas River-tr near Manhattan.

The dam stands 42 feet tall and stretches 160 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 2 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 44 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles.

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 07/26/2017. That was 8 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

At 42 feet, this dam is taller than 89% 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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