Dean Springs Dam

Dean Springs Dam is a gravity dam located in Natrona County, Wyoming, built in 1963. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a unsatisfactory condition assessment.

Hazard potentialLowFailure would cause limited damage
ConditionUnsatisfactoryWorst of 4 · considered unsafe
Emergency action planNot reported
Last inspection07/21/2017
Height30 ft
Built196363 years ago

Dam profile

NID height · 30 ft
30 FT TWO-STORY HOUSEMEDIAN U.S. DAM · 24 FT

30 ft tall and 587 ft long, taller than 68% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic concrete gravity section and the water level is illustrative.

About Dean Springs Dam

The primary purpose of Dean Springs Dam is debris control. The dam is designed to catch sediment, rocks, and debris carried by flowing water — particularly important in areas prone to mudslides or heavy erosion. The dam is owned by Doi BLM (federal). It impounds the Dean Springs Draw.

The dam stands 30 feet tall and stretches 587 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 6 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 18 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 4 square miles. Completed in 1963, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. Its condition is rated unsatisfactory, indicating serious safety deficiencies exist that require immediate attention or remedial action. The most recent inspection on record was 07/21/2017.

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Location

StateWyoming
CountyNatrona
River/StreamDean Springs Draw
Coordinates43.22194, -107.16384

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeGravity
NID Height30 ft
Dam Length587 ft
Year Completed1963 (63 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage18 acre-ft
Max Storage18 acre-ft
Normal Storage9 acre-ft
Surface Area6 acres
Drainage Area4 sq mi
Max Discharge863 cfs
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeDebris Control
OwnerDoi BLM
Owner TypeFederal
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentUnsatisfactory
Last Inspection07/21/2017
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDWY01445
Federal IDWY01445
More InfoState Dam Safety Program