Jackson (madison) is an earth dam located in Madison County, Montana, built in 1959. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 34 ft34 ft tall and 315 ft long, taller than 78% 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 Jackson (madison)
The primary purpose of Jackson (madison) is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Matt Moen (private). It impounds the Bradley Creek near Norris.
The dam stands 34 feet tall and stretches 315 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 6 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 87 acre-feet. Completed in 1959, 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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 08/03/2015. That was 11 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.
At 34 feet, this dam is taller than 78% 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 Montana 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 | Montana |
| County | Madison |
| Nearest City | Norris |
| River/Stream | Bradley Creek |
| Coordinates | 45.53410, -111.66600 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 34 ft |
| Dam Height | 34 ft |
| Dam Length | 315 ft |
| Year Completed | 1959 (67 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 87 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 87 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 56 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 6 acres |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Owner | Matt Moen |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 08/03/2015 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MT01273 |
| Federal ID | MT01273 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |