Merrill Karlen #2

Merrill Karlen #2 is an earth dam located in Lyman County, South Dakota, built in 1958. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.

Hazard potentialLowFailure would cause limited damage
ConditionNot assessed
Emergency action planNot reported
Last inspectionNot reported
Height26 ft
Built195868 years ago

Dam profile

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

26 ft tall and 390 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 embankment section and the water level is illustrative.

About Merrill Karlen #2

The primary purpose of Merrill Karlen #2 is fire protection, stock, or small fish pond. The dam maintains a small impoundment used for fire suppression, livestock watering, or as a fish pond. The dam is owned by Merrill Karlen (private). It impounds the Trib-missouri.

The dam stands 26 feet tall and stretches 390 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 21 acre-feet. Completed in 1958, 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.

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Location

StateSouth Dakota
CountyLyman
River/StreamTrib-missouri
Coordinates44.08166, -99.76166

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height26 ft
Dam Height26 ft
Dam Length390 ft
Year Completed1958 (68 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage21 acre-ft
Max Storage21 acre-ft
Normal Storage18 acre-ft
Max Discharge1,350 cfs

Ownership & Safety

PurposeFire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond
OwnerMerrill Karlen
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentNot assessed
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDSD01147
Federal IDSD01147
More InfoState Dam Safety Program