Fire Protection and Stock Pond Dams in the United States
12,010Total
276High Hazard
465Significant
These small dams serve practical rural needs: storing water for fire suppression, providing drinking water for livestock, or maintaining small fish ponds. They're among the most numerous dams in the country and are almost entirely privately owned.
Most are small earthen structures, often built without formal engineering. While individually they carry low hazard, their sheer numbers and often-minimal maintenance make them a significant category for state dam safety programs to track.
Fire Protection and Stock Pond Dams by State
| State | Count | High Hazard | Tallest (ft) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 2739 | 5 | 81 |
| Kansas | 2229 | 25 | 56 |
| South Dakota | 1852 | 12 | 75 |
| Montana | 1829 | 6 | 68 |
| Texas | 574 | 24 | 78 |
| Missouri | 450 | 86 | 58 |
| Georgia | 374 | 3 | 49 |
| Nebraska | 327 | 0 | 61 |
| Wyoming | 327 | 1 | 58 |
| North Dakota | 221 | 0 | 47 |
| North Carolina | 181 | 34 | 40 |
| Alabama | 99 | 8 | 50 |
| South Carolina | 95 | 21 | 48 |
| Colorado | 83 | 2 | 65 |
| Tennessee | 81 | 18 | 65 |
| Wisconsin | 64 | 5 | 43 |
| New York | 49 | 4 | 40 |
| Massachusetts | 47 | 1 | 28 |
| Minnesota | 45 | 0 | 36 |
| Louisiana | 42 | 0 | 34 |
| Maine | 33 | 2 | 25 |
| Illinois | 32 | 0 | 38 |
| California | 31 | 3 | 175 |
| Arkansas | 30 | 1 | 37 |
| Oklahoma | 26 | 0 | 42 |
| Arizona | 24 | 3 | 46 |
| Florida | 23 | 0 | 30 |
| Virginia | 16 | 2 | 38 |
| Utah | 13 | 0 | 37 |
| Rhode Island | 10 | 2 | 17 |
| Michigan | 9 | 0 | 26 |
| Oregon | 9 | 0 | 77 |
| New Mexico | 8 | 1 | 39 |
| Nevada | 8 | 0 | 27 |
| Mississippi | 6 | 0 | 34 |
| Washington | 5 | 2 | 29 |
| West Virginia | 5 | 4 | 56 |
| New Jersey | 4 | 0 | 22 |
| Connecticut | 2 | 1 | 14 |
| Idaho | 2 | 0 | 25 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 0 | 26 |
| New Hampshire | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| Maryland | 1 | 0 | 16 |
| Vermont | 1 | 0 | 18 |