Sanderson Canyon Ws Scs Site 6 Dam

About Sanderson Canyon Ws Scs Site 6 Dam

The primary purpose of Sanderson Canyon Ws Scs Site 6 Dam is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Big Bend Swcd;brewster County;pecos County;rio Grande-pecos River Swcd;terrell County;trans Pecos Swcd (local government). It impounds the Red Windmill Draw near Sanderson.

The dam stands 78 feet tall and stretches 2,790 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 30 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 5,888 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 16 square miles. Completed in 1984, the structure is 42 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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 01/22/2020.

At 78 feet, this dam is taller than 97% 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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