Optima Dam

About Optima Dam

The primary purpose of Optima Dam 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 Usace - Tulsa District (federal). It impounds the North Canadian River near Beaver.

The dam stands 120 feet tall and stretches 16,875 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 5,340 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 618,500 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2,341 square miles. Completed in 1978, the structure is 48 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 09/26/2022.

At 120 feet, this dam is taller than 98% 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 Oklahoma dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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