California Coulee is an earth dam located in Hill County, Montana, built in 1955. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 22 ft22 ft tall and 225 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 California Coulee
The primary purpose of California Coulee 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 Joseph Schoenborn (private). It impounds the Fresno Coulee near Havre.
The dam stands 22 feet tall and stretches 225 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 108 acre-feet. Completed in 1955, 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 | Hill |
| Nearest City | Havre |
| River/Stream | Fresno Coulee |
| Coordinates | 48.56780, -109.90190 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 22 ft |
| Dam Height | 22 ft |
| Dam Length | 225 ft |
| Year Completed | 1955 (71 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 108 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 108 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 59 acre-ft |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | Joseph Schoenborn |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MT03437 |
| Federal ID | MT03437 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |