Tekamah-mud Creek 5-a

About Tekamah-mud Creek 5-a

The primary purpose of Tekamah-mud Creek 5-a 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 Papio Missouri River Natural Resources District (local government). It impounds the Tr-tekamah Creek near Tekamah.

The dam stands 76 feet tall and stretches 1,400 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 193 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 6,861 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 9 square miles. Completed in 1980, the structure is 46 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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 05/09/2024.

At 76 feet, this dam is taller than 97% 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 Nebraska dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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