Valentine Mill Pond Dam

About Valentine Mill Pond Dam

The primary purpose of Valentine Mill Pond Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Middle Niobrara Natural Resources District (local government). It impounds the Minnechaduza Creek near Valentine.

The dam stands 43 feet tall and stretches 300 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 24 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 391 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 373 square miles. Completed in 1893, the structure is over a century 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 06/06/2024.

At 43 feet, this dam is taller than 89% 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 Nebraska dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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