Oglala Dam (National ID # SD00969) is a dam in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
| Oglala Dam | |
|---|---|
  Location of Oglala Dam in South Dakota | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota |
| Coordinates | 43°10′38″N 102°44′23″W / 43.177330°N 102.739800°W |
| Purpose | Irrigation and Water Storage |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1938 |
| Opening date | 1941 |
| Owner(s) | Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment, earth-fill |
| Impounds | White Clay Creek |
| Height | 80 feet (24 m) |
| Length | 2,600 feet (790 m) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Oglala Lake |
| Total capacity | 18,300-acre-foot (0.0226 km3) |
| Surface area | 643 acres |
The earthen dam was constructed between 1938 and 1941 by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs using labor of the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Public Works Administration.[1] The structure has a height of 80 feet and a length of 2600 feet at its crest.[2] It impounds White Clay Creek for irrigation storage. The dam is owned and operated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
The reservoir it creates, Oglala Lake, has a normal water surface of 643 acres and has a maximum capacity of 18,300 acre-feet.[2] As a development project, even after significant government subsidies, the dam has been "a dismal failure from the year of its construction."[1]
The Oglala Sioux Tribe website reports 3 to 4 "seasonal openings each year." The Safety of Dams Program monitors the Dam's water levels and flows for early detection of major dam breach/breaks or severe flood emergencies."[3]
The dam and lake are just south of Oglala, South Dakota, near U.S. Route 18.
See also
editExternal links
edit- Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe Archived 2021-05-04 at the Wayback Machine
References
edit- ^ a b Raymond J. De Mallie, "Pine Ridge Economy: Historical and Cultural Perspectives," collected in American Indian Economic Development, edited by Sam Stanley, page 281
- ^ a b Oglala Dam
- ^ "Tribal Programs Safety of Dams". Oglala Sioux Tribe. Retrieved 2012-10-07.