Highlands Lake Dam

About Highlands Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Highlands Lake Dam is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Highland Properties Co. (private). It impounds the Rock Creek near Columbia.

The dam stands 34 feet tall, creates a reservoir covering 5 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 91 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 60 square miles. Completed in 1986, the structure is 40 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. The most recent inspection on record was 07/16/1986. That was 39 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

At 34 feet, this dam is taller than 80% 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 Missouri dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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