Castle Ranch Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Jefferson County, Missouri, built in 1950. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 20 ft20 ft tall and 375 ft long. 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 Castle Ranch Lake Dam
Castle Ranch Lake Dam is a dam in Jefferson, Missouri. The dam is private-owned. It impounds the Murril Branch.
The dam stands 20 feet tall and stretches 375 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 5 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 49 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 380 square miles. Completed in 1950, 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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam.
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
| State | Missouri |
| County | Jefferson |
| River/Stream | Murril Branch |
| Coordinates | 38.21468, -90.56475 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 20 ft |
| Dam Height | 20 ft |
| Dam Length | 375 ft |
| Year Completed | 1950 (76 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 49 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 49 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 27 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 5 acres |
| Drainage Area | 380 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 250 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MO50002 |
| Federal ID | MO50002 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |