80Total Dams
11High Hazard
24Significant
Dam Safety in Polk County, Iowa
Polk County has 80 dams tracked in the National Inventory of Dams. Of these, 11 are classified as high hazard — meaning failure would probably cause loss of human life. Another 24 carry a significant hazard classification.
The average dam in Polk County is 45 years old. The most common purpose is fire protection, stock, or small fish pond. The tallest dam is Saylorville Dam at 125 ft.
Explore more: Oldest dams in Iowa · Tallest dams · High risk dams · Largest reservoirs
| Dam | Hazard | Condition | Height (ft) | Purpose | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saylorville Dam | High | Not assessed | 125 | Flood Risk Reduction | 1975 |
| Big Creek Barrier Dam | High | Not assessed | 84 | Flood Risk Reduction | 1974 |
| Big Creek Diversion Dam | High | Not assessed | 80 | Flood Risk Reduction | 1970 |
| Fort Des Moines Park Dam | High | Fair | 49 | Recreation | 1977 |
| Twenty-sixth Street Stormwater Detention Basin | High | Satisfactory | 43 | Flood Risk Reduction | 2007 |
| West Lakes Office Park Dam | High | Satisfactory | 41 | Flood Risk Reduction | 1990 |
| Clive Lake Dam | High | Satisfactory | 37 | Other | 1989 |
| Glen Oaks Country Club Dam | High | Satisfactory | 36 | Recreation | 1950 |
| Easter Lake Stormwater Retention Basin - Site 9 | High | Satisfactory | 24 | Flood Risk Reduction | 2005 |
| Parkview Lake Dam | High | Satisfactory | 21 | Flood Risk Reduction | 1978 |
| Red Rock Dam - Carlisle Remedial Works | High | Not assessed | 13 | Flood Risk Reduction | 1967 |
| Woodland Lake Dam | Significant | Satisfactory | 43 | 1971 | |
| Easter Lake Dam | Significant | Satisfactory | 43 | Recreation | 1967 |
| Dmacc Dam | Significant | Satisfactory | 37 | Other | 1984 |
| Hickory Glen Park Dam | Significant | Satisfactory | 35 | Recreation | 2019 |
| Se Des Moines Stormwater Det. Dam #3 | Significant | Satisfactory | 34 | Flood Risk Reduction | 1999 |
| Prairie Trail Development - South Dam | Significant | Not assessed | 31 | Flood Risk Reduction | 2008 |
| Copper Creek Lake Dam | Significant | Satisfactory | 31 | Irrigation | 1995 |
| Shryock Dam | Significant | Fair | 30 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1963 |
| Woodlands Parkway Dam | Significant | Fair | 28 | 1964 | |
| Thomas Mitchell Park Dam | Significant | Satisfactory | 27 | Recreation | 1971 |
| Lake Halice Dam | Significant | Satisfactory | 27 | Recreation | 1961 |
| Se Des Moines Stormwater Det. Dam #4 | Significant | Satisfactory | 26 | Flood Risk Reduction | 1999 |
| Prairie Trail - Cp5 | Significant | Not assessed | 24 | Flood Risk Reduction | 2014 |
| Thirty-fifth Street Dam | Significant | Satisfactory | 23 | Other | 1992 |
| Crescent Lake Dam | Significant | Not assessed | 22 | Flood Risk Reduction | 2007 |
| Easter Lake Retention Basin # 10 | Significant | Satisfactory | 22 | Flood Risk Reduction | 2005 |
| Prairie Trail Development - North Dam | Significant | Not assessed | 22 | Flood Risk Reduction | 2008 |
| Copper Creek Estates Dam | Significant | Satisfactory | 21 | Flood Risk Reduction | 2002 |
| Thunder Bay Lake Dam | Significant | Satisfactory | 19 | Flood Risk Reduction | 2010 |
| Easter Lake Retention Basin #1 | Significant | Satisfactory | 18 | Flood Risk Reduction | 2005 |
| Ward Business Park Dam | Significant | Not assessed | 17 | Other | 2001 |
| Jester Park Estates Dam | Significant | Satisfactory | 11 | Recreation | 2005 |
| Ilex Dam | Significant | Not assessed | 10 | Flood Risk Reduction | 1980 |
| Fountain View Lake Dam | Significant | Not assessed | 8 | Other | 1993 |
| Big Creek Terminal Dam | Low | Not assessed | 95 | Flood Risk Reduction | 1972 |
| Polk County Roadgrade Dam 3-80-24 | Low | Not assessed | 49 | Other | 1992 |
| Yellowbanks Dam | Low | Satisfactory | 41 | Recreation | 1986 |
| Polk County Roadgrade Dam 21-78-22 | Low | Not assessed | 41 | Other | 1992 |
| Waterford Pond Dam | Low | Fair | 40 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1966 |
| Bennett Dam | Low | Not assessed | 38 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1987 |
| Polk County Roadgrade Dam 5-80-22 | Low | Not assessed | 35 | Other | 1996 |
| Hickory Lake Dam | Low | Not assessed | 34 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1970 |
| Cutler Dam | Low | Not assessed | 32 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1940 |
| Young Dam | Low | Not assessed | 31 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 2004 |
| Rasmussen Dam | Low | Not assessed | 31 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 2006 |
| Mc Clintic Dam | Low | Not assessed | 31 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1979 |
| Urban America Development Dam | Low | Not assessed | 31 | Recreation | 1966 |
| Ankeny Golf & Country Club Dam | Low | Not assessed | 31 | Recreation | 1962 |
| Phipps Dam | Low | Not assessed | 30 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1967 |
| Green Dam | Low | Not assessed | 30 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1961 |
| Triplett Dam | Low | Not assessed | 30 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1969 |
| Owen Dam | Low | Not assessed | 28 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1960 |
| Wakonda Country Club Dam | Low | Not assessed | 28 | Recreation | 1995 |
| Sawgrass Park Dam | Low | Fair | 27 | Recreation | 1980 |
| Sloan Dam | Low | Not assessed | 27 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1968 |
| Olmstead Dam | Low | Not assessed | 27 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1966 |
| Campbell Dam | Low | Not assessed | 26 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1988 |
| Renaud Dam | Low | Not assessed | 26 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1959 |
| Clements Dam | Low | Not assessed | 26 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1964 |
| Ross Dam | Low | Not assessed | 26 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1968 |
| Busby Dam | Low | Not assessed | 26 | Fish and Wildlife Pond | 2005 |
| Colby Dam | Low | Not assessed | 26 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1968 |
| King Dam | Low | Not assessed | 26 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1967 |
| Young Dam | Low | Not assessed | 25 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1980 |
| Ferguson Dam | Low | Not assessed | 25 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1967 |
| Wise Dam | Low | Not assessed | 25 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1959 |
| Wickard Dam | Low | Not assessed | 25 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1964 |
| Porter Dam | Low | Not assessed | 25 | Recreation | 1955 |
| Amos/everly Dam | Low | Not assessed | 24 | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond | 1968 |
| Se Des Moines Stormwater Det. Dam #8 | Low | Satisfactory | 23 | Flood Risk Reduction | 1999 |
| Tuscany Pond Dam | Low | Not assessed | 20 | Flood Risk Reduction | 1970 |
| Metro West Dam (sw) | Low | Not assessed | 20 | Debris Control | 1996 |
| Se Des Moines Stormwater Det. Dam #5 | Low | Satisfactory | 19 | Flood Risk Reduction | 1999 |
| Southpoint Wetland Mitigation Dam | Low | Satisfactory | 15 | Fish and Wildlife Pond | 2004 |
| Des Moines-center Street Milldam | Low | Not assessed | 11 | Recreation | 1916 |
| Facebook North Detention Dam | Low | Not assessed | 11 | Flood Risk Reduction | 2020 |
| Bailey Carpenter Wrp Dike #2 | Low | Not assessed | 8 | Fish and Wildlife Pond | 2008 |
| Des Moines-waterworks Dam | Low | Not assessed | 7 | Water Supply | 1923 |
| Des Moines-scott Street Milldam | Low | Not assessed | 7 | Recreation | 1920 |