Younglife Waste A (lower)

About Younglife Waste A (lower)

The primary purpose of Younglife Waste A (lower) is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Washington Younglife Ranch (private). It impounds the Wastewater Effluent near Muddy Ranch.

The dam stands 41 feet tall and stretches 350 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 6 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 132 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1986, the structure is 40 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. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 10/20/2020.

At 41 feet, this dam is taller than 88% 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 Oregon dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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