Ray E. Smith Dam is an earth dam located in Custer County, South Dakota, built in 1954. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 18 ft18 ft tall and 350 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 Ray E. Smith Dam
The primary purpose of Ray E. Smith Dam 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 Lucile Hartshorn (private). It impounds the Cottonwood Creek.
The dam stands 18 feet tall and stretches 350 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 72 acre-feet. Completed in 1954, 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
| State | South Dakota |
| County | Custer |
| Nearest City | None |
| River/Stream | Cottonwood Creek |
| Coordinates | 43.55166, -103.17332 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 18 ft |
| Dam Height | 18 ft |
| Dam Length | 350 ft |
| Year Completed | 1954 (72 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 72 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 72 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 56 acre-ft |
| Max Discharge | 1,100 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond |
| Owner | Lucile Hartshorn |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | SD01380 |
| Federal ID | SD01380 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |