Steer Canyon Dam

Steer Canyon Dam is a gravity dam located in Malheur County, Oregon, built in 1954. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.

Hazard potentialLowFailure would cause limited damage
ConditionPoor3rd of 4 · remedial action needed
Emergency action planNot reported
Last inspection09/24/2019
Height26 ft
Built195472 years ago

Dam profile

NID height · 26 ft
26 FT TWO-STORY HOUSEMEDIAN U.S. DAM · 24 FT

26 ft tall and 314 ft long, taller than 55% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic concrete gravity section and the water level is illustrative.

About Steer Canyon Dam

The primary purpose of Steer Canyon Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Doi BLM (federal). It impounds the Steer Canyon Creek.

The dam stands 26 feet tall and stretches 314 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 8 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 66 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 6 square miles. Completed in 1954, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

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. Its condition is rated poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. The most recent inspection on record was 09/24/2019.

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Location

StateOregon
CountyMalheur
Nearest CityNone
River/StreamSteer Canyon Creek
Coordinates42.24734, -117.41141

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeGravity
NID Height26 ft
Dam Length314 ft
Year Completed1954 (72 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage66 acre-ft
Max Storage66 acre-ft
Normal Storage66 acre-ft
Surface Area8 acres
Drainage Area6 sq mi
Max Discharge3,724 cfs
Spillway TypeNone

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerDoi BLM
Owner TypeFederal
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentPoor
Last Inspection09/24/2019
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDOR00758
Federal IDOR00758
More InfoState Dam Safety Program