Southern Great Plains Field Station
Southern Great Plains Field Station is an earth dam located in Osage County, Oklahoma, built in 1938. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
About Southern Great Plains Field Station
The primary purpose of Southern Great Plains Field Station is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Usda-ars (federal). It impounds the Spring Creek near Woodward.
The dam stands 33 feet tall and stretches 950 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 25 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 646 acre-feet. Completed in 1938, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.
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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 12/01/2017. That was 8 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.
At 33 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 Oklahoma 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 | Oklahoma |
| County | Osage |
| Nearest City | Woodward |
| River/Stream | Spring Creek |
| Coordinates | 36.42620, -96.42170 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 33 ft |
| Dam Height | 33 ft |
| Dam Length | 950 ft |
| Year Completed | 1938 (88 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 646 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 646 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 148 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 25 acres |
| Max Discharge | 23,185 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Owner | USDA-ARS |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not Rated |
| Last Inspection | 12/01/2017 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | OK10416 |
| Federal ID | OK10416 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |