Owyhee Dam

About Owyhee Dam

The primary purpose of Owyhee Dam is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Bureau Of Reclamation (federal). It impounds the Owyhee River near Owyhee.

The dam stands 417 feet tall and stretches 833 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 13,900 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,120,000 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 10,382 square miles. Completed in 1932, 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 07/14/2022.

At 417 feet, this dam is taller than 99% 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 Oregon dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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