Houston Lake Dam

About Houston Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Houston Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Venetian Gardens Homes (private). It impounds the Jumping Branch near Riverside.

The dam stands 22 feet tall, creates a reservoir covering 19 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 224 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 898 square miles. Completed in 1930, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.

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. The most recent inspection on record was 09/22/1978. That was 47 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

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

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