Scs-lower Black Bear Creek Site-19m

About Scs-lower Black Bear Creek Site-19m

The primary purpose of Scs-lower Black Bear Creek Site-19m is water supply. The dam stores water for municipal, industrial, or agricultural use, helping ensure a reliable supply for the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Pawnee County Conservation District (state). It impounds the Camp Creek To Black Bear Creek near Pawnee.

The dam stands 69 feet tall and stretches 2,200 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 550 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 12,664 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 26 square miles. Completed in 1937, 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. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 11/02/2010. That was 15 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

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 Oklahoma dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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