Kelso Dam is an earth dam located in Schuyler County, Missouri, built in 1992. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.

Hazard potentialLowFailure would cause limited damage
ConditionNot assessed
Emergency action planNot reported
Last inspectionNot reported
Height29 ft
Built199234 years ago

Dam profile

NID height · 29 ft
29 FT TWO-STORY HOUSEMEDIAN U.S. DAM · 24 FT

29 ft tall and 310 ft long, taller than 65% 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 Kelso Dam

The primary purpose of Kelso Dam is grade stabilization. Grade stabilization dams prevent erosion by reducing the slope and velocity of water flowing through a channel. They're commonly used to stop gullies from deepening and to protect downstream land and infrastructure. The dam is owned by Kenneth Kelso (private). It impounds the Tr-north Fabius River near Memphis.

The dam stands 29 feet tall and stretches 310 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 3 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 20 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 160 square miles. Completed in 1992, the structure is 34 years old.

This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life.

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Location

StateMissouri
CountySchuyler
Nearest CityMemphis
River/StreamTr-north Fabius River
Coordinates40.54686, -92.40695

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height29 ft
Dam Height29 ft
Dam Length310 ft
Year Completed1992 (34 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage20 acre-ft
Max Storage20 acre-ft
Normal Storage15 acre-ft
Surface Area3 acres
Drainage Area160 sq mi
Max Discharge10 cfs
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeGrade Stabilization
OwnerKenneth Kelso
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentNot assessed
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDMO50557
Federal IDMO50557
More InfoState Dam Safety Program