Ament Lake Dam

About Ament Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Ament Lake 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 Texas State University System (state). It impounds the Tr-dark Canyon Creek.

The dam stands 59 feet tall and stretches 125 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 1 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 500 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1911, the structure is over a century 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 04/10/2024.

At 59 feet, this dam is taller than 95% of all dams in the United States.

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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