Turner's Dream Lake Dam

Turner's Dream Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Wayne County, Missouri, built in 1977. It carries a High hazard potential classification.

Hazard potentialHighFailure would probably cost lives
ConditionNot assessed
Emergency action planNot reported
Last inspection05/16/1979
Height35 ft
Built197749 years ago

Dam profile

NID height · 35 ft
35 FT TWO-STORY HOUSEMEDIAN U.S. DAM · 24 FT

35 ft tall and 590 ft long, taller than 80% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.

About Turner's Dream Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Turner's Dream Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Mr. Dick Twitty (private). It impounds the Tr-barnes Creek near Lowndes.

The dam stands 35 feet tall and stretches 590 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 50 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 988 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1,772 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. The most recent inspection on record was 05/16/1979. That was 47 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

At 35 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.

Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.

Location

StateMissouri
CountyWayne
Nearest CityLowndes
River/StreamTr-barnes Creek
Coordinates37.14091, -90.24238

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height35 ft
Dam Height35 ft
Dam Length590 ft
Year Completed1977 (49 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage988 acre-ft
Max Storage988 acre-ft
Normal Storage674 acre-ft
Surface Area50 acres
Drainage Area1,772 sq mi
Max Discharge1,170 cfs

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerMr. Dick Twitty
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentNot assessed
Last Inspection05/16/1979
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDMO31108
Federal IDMO31108
More InfoState Dam Safety Program