Owanka is an earth dam located in Pennington County, South Dakota, built in 1935. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 28 ft28 ft tall and 690 ft long, taller than 62% 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 Owanka
The primary purpose of Owanka is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by S&pl (state). It impounds the Tr-boxelder Creek.
The dam stands 28 feet tall and stretches 690 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 257 acre-feet. Completed in 1935, 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 11/16/2023.
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Location
| State | South Dakota |
| County | Pennington |
| Nearest City | None |
| River/Stream | Tr-boxelder Creek |
| Coordinates | 44.02385, -102.57835 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 28 ft |
| Dam Height | 28 ft |
| Dam Length | 690 ft |
| Year Completed | 1935 (91 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 257 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 257 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 54 acre-ft |
| Max Discharge | 450 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | S&pl |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 11/16/2023 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | SD00993 |
| Federal ID | SD00993 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |