Galveston County Water Industrial Reservoir Dam

About Galveston County Water Industrial Reservoir Dam

The primary purpose of Galveston County Water Industrial Reservoir Dam is water supply. The dam stores water for municipal, industrial, or agricultural use, helping ensure a reliable supply for the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Gulf Coast Water Authority (local government). It impounds the Off Ch-dickinson Bayou near La Marque.

The dam stands 14 feet tall and stretches 25,281 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 812 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 9,462 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1949, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 03/19/2019. That was 7 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Texas dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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