Lost Creek Watershed Dam F-1

About Lost Creek Watershed Dam F-1

The primary purpose of Lost Creek Watershed Dam F-1 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 Lost Creek Wrsd Subdist (local government). It impounds the Tr-lost Creek near Seneca.

The dam stands 33 feet tall and stretches 450 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 1 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 64 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 89 square miles. Completed in 1977, the structure is 49 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. The most recent inspection on record was 05/29/1980. That was 45 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

At 33 feet, this dam is taller than 78% 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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