Lake Tapawingo Dam

About Lake Tapawingo Dam

The primary purpose of Lake Tapawingo Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Lake Tapawingo Country Club (private). It impounds the Tr East Fork Of Little Blue R near Independence.

The dam stands 55 feet tall and stretches 970 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 78 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 2,000 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 square miles. Completed in 1926, 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. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 01/13/2021.

At 55 feet, this dam is taller than 94% 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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