Adams

About Adams

The primary purpose of Adams is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Kays Creek Irrigation Company (private). It impounds the Snow Creek near Layton.

The dam stands 43 feet tall and stretches 1,620 feet across, has a storage capacity of 450 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 square miles. Completed in 1915, 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 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 04/18/2023.

At 43 feet, this dam is taller than 89% 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 Utah dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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