Denby Dam is an earth dam located in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, built in 1939. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 27 ft27 ft tall and 540 ft long, taller than 59% 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 embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Denby Dam
The primary purpose of Denby Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Bia (federal). It impounds the Wounded Knee Creek near Wounded Knee.
The dam stands 27 feet tall and stretches 540 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 25 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 439 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 23 square miles. Completed in 1939, 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.
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Location
| State | South Dakota |
| County | Oglala Lakota |
| Nearest City | Wounded Knee |
| River/Stream | Wounded Knee Creek |
| Coordinates | 43.05738, -102.31501 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 27 ft |
| Dam Height | 27 ft |
| Dam Length | 540 ft |
| Year Completed | 1939 (87 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 439 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 439 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 257 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 25 acres |
| Drainage Area | 23 sq mi |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Bia |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | SD00968 |
| Federal ID | SD00968 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |