Murphy Dam

Murphy Dam is an earth dam located in Malheur County, Oregon, built in 1950. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.

About Murphy Dam

The primary purpose of Murphy Dam is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by James F. Murphy (private). It impounds the Bendire Creek near Juntura.

The dam stands 62 feet tall and stretches 400 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 8 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,203 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1950, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.

This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. The most recent inspection on record was 07/21/2015. That was over 10 years ago.

At 62 feet, this dam is taller than 95% of all dams in the United States.

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Low HazardNot Rated ConditionEmergency Action Plan: No

Location

StateOregon
CountyMalheur
Nearest CityJuntura
River/StreamBendire Creek
Coordinates43.98606, -118.09191

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height62 ft
Dam Height60 ft
Dam Length400 ft
Year Completed1950 (76 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage1,203 acre-ft
Max Storage1,203 acre-ft
Normal Storage1,203 acre-ft
Surface Area8 acres
Drainage Area1 sq mi
Max Discharge760 cfs

Ownership & Safety

PurposeIrrigation
OwnerJAMES F. MURPHY
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentNot Rated
Last Inspection07/21/2015
Emergency Action PlanNo

Identifiers

NID IDOR00194
Federal IDOR00194
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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