Belle Fourche Diversion Dam is a concrete dam located in Butte County, South Dakota, built in 1907. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 36 ft36 ft tall and 400 ft long, taller than 82% 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 Belle Fourche Diversion Dam
The primary purpose of Belle Fourche Diversion 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 Belle Fourche River near Fruitdale.
The dam stands 36 feet tall and stretches 400 feet across, has a maximum storage capacity of 500 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 4,310 square miles. Completed in 1907, the structure is over a century 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. The most recent inspection on record was 05/25/2021.
At 36 feet, this dam is taller than 82% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | South Dakota |
| County | Butte |
| Nearest City | Fruitdale |
| River/Stream | Belle Fourche River |
| Coordinates | 44.69070, -103.83090 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Concrete |
| NID Height | 36 ft |
| Dam Height | 36 ft |
| Dam Length | 400 ft |
| Year Completed | 1907 (119 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 500 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 500 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 500 acre-ft |
| Drainage Area | 4,310 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 1,635 cfs |
| Spillway Type | None |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Owner | Bureau of Reclamation |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 05/25/2021 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | SD01142 |
| Federal ID | SD01142 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |