Desert is an earth dam located in Valley County, Montana, built in 1956. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 20 ft20 ft tall and 1,005 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 Desert
The primary purpose of Desert is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Marcus Handley (private). It impounds the Desert Coulee near Nashua.
The dam stands 20 feet tall and stretches 1,005 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 299 acre-feet. Completed in 1956, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 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
| State | Montana |
| County | Valley |
| Nearest City | Nashua |
| River/Stream | Desert Coulee |
| Coordinates | 47.84860, -107.08730 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 20 ft |
| Dam Height | 20 ft |
| Dam Length | 1,005 ft |
| Year Completed | 1956 (70 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 299 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 299 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 153 acre-ft |
| Max Discharge | 200 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | Marcus Handley |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MT00695 |
| Federal ID | MT00695 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |