Lake Brazos Dam
Lake Brazos Dam is an earth dam located in McLennan County, Texas, built in 1970. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
About Lake Brazos Dam
The primary purpose of Lake Brazos Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by City Of Waco (local government). It impounds the Brazos River near Waco.
The dam stands 33 feet tall and stretches 905 feet across, has a maximum storage capacity of 10,000 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 29,550 square miles. Completed in 1970, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
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. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 10/01/2020.
At 33 feet, this dam is taller than 78% of dams nationwide.
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.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Texas |
| County | McLennan |
| Nearest City | Waco |
| River/Stream | Brazos River |
| Coordinates | 31.55096, -97.09701 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 33 ft |
| Dam Height | 33 ft |
| Dam Length | 905 ft |
| Year Completed | 1970 (56 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 10,000 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 10,000 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 3,537 acre-ft |
| Drainage Area | 29,550 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 144,000 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | CITY OF WACO |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 10/01/2020 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | TX04101 |
| Federal ID | TX04101 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |