South Dakota has 2523 dams with recorded construction dates. The oldest dates to 1894 — 132 years ago. South Dakota's earliest dams were built in the 19th century, an era of westward expansion, irrigation development, and early water infrastructure. Older dams require particular attention for safety, as many were built before modern engineering standards.
| # | Dam | County | Year Built | Age | Height (ft) | Hazard | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sturgis #2 | Meade | 1894 | 132 yrs | 30 | Significant | Not assessed |
| 2 | Lermeny Dam | Harding | 1903 | 123 yrs | 25 | Low | Not assessed |
| 3 | Sylvan Lake Dam | Custer | 1906 | 120 yrs | 37 | High | Fair |
| 4 | Belle Fourche Diversion Dam | Butte | 1907 | 119 yrs | 36 | Low | Not assessed |
| 5 | Hanson Pond | Brown | 1910 | 116 yrs | 15 | Significant | Not assessed |
| 6 | Mcintosh Lake | Corson | 1910 | 116 yrs | 20 | Significant | Not assessed |
| 7 | Herbert Stoick | Corson | 1910 | 116 yrs | 22 | Significant | Not assessed |
| 8 | Richard Glines | Corson | 1910 | 116 yrs | 39 | Significant | Not assessed |
| 9 | East Morristown Lake | Corson | 1910 | 116 yrs | 34 | Low | Not assessed |
| 10 | Pettegrew Dam | Fall River | 1910 | 116 yrs | 25 | Low | Not assessed |
| 11 | E.e Pettegrew Dam No. 2 | Fall River | 1910 | 116 yrs | 15 | Low | Not assessed |
| 12 | Farley Lake Dam | Grant | 1910 | 116 yrs | 15 | High | Fair |
| 13 | D. Ulrich | Perkins | 1910 | 116 yrs | 15 | Low | Not assessed |
| 14 | Belle Fourche Dam | Butte | 1911 | 115 yrs | 122 | High | Not assessed |
| 15 | Davis Ranch Inc. No.1 | Butte | 1914 | 112 yrs | 21 | Low | Not assessed |
| 16 | Virgil Horton 1 | Pennington | 1916 | 110 yrs | 15 | Low | Not assessed |
| 17 | Charlie Waters Dam | Fall River | 1918 | 108 yrs | 16 | Low | Not assessed |
| 18 | Burlington Dam | Fall River | 1919 | 107 yrs | 52 | Low | Not assessed |
| 19 | Rodney Winkler Dam No. 1 | Butte | 1920 | 106 yrs | 20 | Low | Not assessed |
| 20 | Trout Dam | Fall River | 1920 | 106 yrs | 22 | Low | Not assessed |
| 21 | Dry Draw Dam | Fall River | 1920 | 106 yrs | 18 | Significant | Not assessed |
| 22 | South Buttes | Harding | 1920 | 106 yrs | 22 | Low | Not assessed |
| 23 | City of Murdo Number #2 | Jones | 1920 | 106 yrs | 31 | Low | Not assessed |
| 24 | Nestor Kivimaki Dam No.1 | Butte | 1921 | 105 yrs | 13 | Low | Not assessed |
| 25 | Capitol Lake Dam | Hughes | 1921 | 105 yrs | 27 | High | Fair |
| 26 | Old Stickney | Aurora | 1926 | 100 yrs | 10 | Low | Not assessed |
| 27 | Mitchell | Davison | 1928 | 98 yrs | 55 | High | Fair |
| 28 | Henderson House Dam | Fall River | 1928 | 98 yrs | 20 | Significant | Not assessed |
| 29 | Sturgis #4 | Meade | 1929 | 97 yrs | 37 | Significant | Not assessed |
| 30 | Third Street Dam | Beadle | 1930 | 96 yrs | 7 | Low | Not assessed |
| 31 | Kukuchka Dam | Butte | 1930 | 96 yrs | 17 | Low | Not assessed |
| 32 | Hoover Dam | Butte | 1930 | 96 yrs | 16 | Low | Not assessed |
| 33 | Stockade Lake Dam | Custer | 1930 | 96 yrs | 53 | High | Fair |
| 34 | Haystack Butte Dam | Fall River | 1930 | 96 yrs | 21 | Low | Not assessed |
| 35 | Zell Lake Dam | Faulk | 1930 | 96 yrs | 11 | Low | Poor |
| 36 | Gustafson Dam | Hughes | 1930 | 96 yrs | 14 | Low | Not assessed |
| 37 | Arke Dam | Jackson | 1930 | 96 yrs | 16 | Low | Not assessed |
| 38 | Belvidere Dam | Jackson | 1930 | 96 yrs | 17 | Low | Not assessed |
| 39 | Kadoka (nid) | Jackson | 1930 | 96 yrs | 28 | High | Not assessed |
| 40 | Okaton Dam | Jones | 1930 | 96 yrs | 22 | Low | Not assessed |
| 41 | Osceola | Kingsbury | 1930 | 96 yrs | 18 | Low | Not assessed |
| 42 | White Hill Dam | Perkins | 1930 | 96 yrs | 23 | Low | Not assessed |
| 43 | East Lemmon | Perkins | 1930 | 96 yrs | 30 | Low | Not assessed |
| 44 | Paulsen | Todd | 1930 | 96 yrs | 19 | Low | Not assessed |
| 45 | Frederick | Brown | 1931 | 95 yrs | 20 | Low | Not assessed |
| 46 | Delbridge Dam | Meade | 1931 | 95 yrs | 20 | Low | Not assessed |
| 47 | Indian Dam No.1 | Fall River | 1932 | 94 yrs | 16 | Low | Not assessed |
| 48 | Lake Louise | Hand | 1932 | 94 yrs | 34 | Low | Not assessed |
| 49 | Lake Hanson | Hanson | 1932 | 94 yrs | 24 | Low | Not assessed |
| 50 | James Seiler | Corson | 1933 | 93 yrs | 17 | Low | Not assessed |