Maple River Dam (t-180)

About Maple River Dam (t-180)

The primary purpose of Maple River Dam (t-180) 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 Maple River Wrb (local government). It impounds the Maple River-tr near Durbin.

The dam stands 69 feet tall and stretches 2,470 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 3 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 5,240 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 36 square miles. Completed in 1985, the structure is 41 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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 11/01/2022.

At 69 feet, this dam is taller than 96% 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 North Dakota dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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