Houghton Dam is an earth dam located in Brown County, South Dakota, built in 1938. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 7 ft7 ft tall and 4,439 ft long. 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 Houghton Dam
The primary purpose of Houghton Dam is fish and wildlife pond. The dam creates habitat for fish and wildlife, supporting local ecosystems and potentially serving conservation goals. The dam is owned by US Fish and Wildlife Service (federal). It impounds the James River.
The dam stands 7 feet tall and stretches 4,439 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 6,022 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 43,524 acre-feet. Completed in 1938, 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. 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 10/20/2020.
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Location
| State | South Dakota |
| County | Brown |
| River/Stream | James River |
| Coordinates | 45.77500, -98.25000 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 7 ft |
| Dam Height | 7 ft |
| Dam Length | 4,439 ft |
| Year Completed | 1938 (88 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 43,524 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 43,524 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 7,809 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 6,022 acres |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Fish and Wildlife Pond |
| Owner | US Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 10/20/2020 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | SD01191 |
| Federal ID | SD01191 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |