Lower Willow Creek Dam

About Lower Willow Creek Dam

The primary purpose of Lower Willow Creek Dam is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Lower Willow Creek Drainage District (local government). It impounds the Lower Willow Creek near Hall.

The dam stands 96 feet tall and stretches 970 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 174 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 6,230 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 71 square miles. Completed in 1962, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 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. Its condition is rated poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 09/09/2021.

At 96 feet, this dam is taller than 98% of all dams in the United States.

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 Montana dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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