Fontenelle Dam

About Fontenelle Dam

The primary purpose of Fontenelle 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 Bureau Of Reclamation (federal). It impounds the Green River near Jamestown.

The dam stands 139 feet tall and stretches 5,421 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 8,058 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 334,411 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 4,195 square miles. Completed in 1964, 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 06/28/2022.

At 139 feet, this dam is taller than 99% 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 Wyoming dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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