# Gavins Point Dam > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Gavins_Point_Dam > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Gavins_Point_Dam.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavins_Point_Dam > Source revision: 1321181854 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}} {{Infobox dam | name = Gavins Point Dam | name_official = | image = Gavins-point-dam1.jpg | image_size = | image_caption = Gavins Point Dam on the [Missouri River](/source/Missouri_River), impounding [Lewis and Clark Lake](/source/Lewis_and_Clark_Lake). | image_alt = | location_map = USA Midwest#USA | location_map_size = | location_map_caption = Location of Gavins Point Dam in the Midwestern United States. | coordinates = {{coord|42.849382|-97.482018|type:landmark|display=inline,title}} | country = [United States](/source/United_States) | location = [Cedar County](/source/Cedar_County%2C_Nebraska), [Nebraska](/source/Nebraska) and [Yankton County](/source/Yankton_County%2C_South_Dakota), [South Dakota](/source/South_Dakota) | status = O | construction_began = {{Start date and age|1952}} | opening = {{Start date and age|1957}} | demolished = | cost = $51 million | owner = 24px [U.S. Army Corps of Engineers](/source/U.S._Army_Corps_of_Engineers), Omaha District | dam_type = Embankment, rolled-earth and chalk-fill | dam_height = {{Convert|74|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} | dam_height_thalweg = | dam_height_foundation = | dam_length = {{Convert|8700|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} | dam_width_crest = {{Convert|35|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} | dam_width_base = {{Convert|850|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} | dam_volume = {{Convert|7000000|cuyd|m3|0|abbr=on}} | dam_elevation_crest = {{Convert|1234|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} | dam_crosses = [Missouri River](/source/Missouri_River) | spillway_count = 14 | spillway_type = [Tainter gate](/source/Tainter_gate) | spillway_capacity = {{convert|584000|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}} (Design) {{convert|345000|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}} (Operational) {{cite web |title=Gavins Point Project Statistics |url=https://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Media/Fact-Sheets/Fact-Sheet-Article-View/Article/487639/gavins-point-project-statistics/ |website=U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Omaha District |publisher=U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |date=6 August 2012 |access-date=8 November 2025 |language=en}} | res_name = [Lewis and Clark Lake](/source/Lewis_and_Clark_Lake) | res_capacity_total = {{Convert|492000|acre.ft|m3|0|abbr=on}} | res_capacity_active = | res_capacity_inactive = | res_catchment = {{Convert|279480|sqmi|km2|0|abbr=on}} | res_surface = {{Convert|31400|acre|abbr=on}} | res_elevation = 1,210 feet [msl](/source/mean_sea_level) | res_max_depth = {{Convert|45|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} | res_max_length = {{Convert|25|mi|km|0|abbr=on}} | res_max_width = | res_tidal_range = | plant_operator = U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Operator);
[Western Area Power Administration](/source/Western_Area_Power_Administration) (marketer) | plant_commission = 1957 | plant_decommission = | plant_type = C | plant_turbines = 3 x 44 [MW](/source/megawatt) [Kaplan turbine](/source/Kaplan_turbine) | plant_capacity = 132 MW | plant_annual_gen = 727 million [KWh](/source/Kilowatt_hour){{cite web|url=https://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/projdata/summaryengdat.pdf|title=Summary of Engineering Data – Missouri River Main Stem System|publisher=U.S. Army Corps of Engineers|work=Missouri River Division|date=August 2010|access-date=2012-08-17|archive-date=2012-02-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207121436/http://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/projdata/summaryengdat.pdf|url-status=live}} | website = [https://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/Dam-and-Lake-Projects/Missouri-River-Dams/Gavins-Point/ U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gavins Point Project] | extra = }} '''Gavins Point Dam''' is a {{Convert|1.9|mi|km|0|adj=mid|-long}} [embankment](/source/Embankment_dam) rolled-earth and chalk-fill [dam](/source/dam) which spans the [Missouri River](/source/Missouri_River) and impounds [Lewis and Clark Lake](/source/Lewis_and_Clark_Lake). The dam joins [Cedar County, Nebraska](/source/Cedar_County%2C_Nebraska) with [Yankton County, South Dakota](/source/Yankton_County%2C_South_Dakota) a distance of 811.1 river miles (1,305 km) upstream of [St. Louis, Missouri](/source/St._Louis%2C_Missouri), where the river joins the [Mississippi River](/source/Mississippi_River). It is the most downstream dam on the Missouri River. The dam and [hydroelectric power plant](/source/Hydroelectricity) were constructed as the Gavins Point Project from 1952 to 1957 by the [United States Army Corps of Engineers](/source/United_States_Army_Corps_of_Engineers) as part of the [Pick-Sloan Plan](/source/Pick%E2%80%93Sloan_Missouri_Basin_Program). The dam is located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) west or upstream of [Yankton, South Dakota](/source/Yankton%2C_South_Dakota). ==History== [[File:Brokaw-gavinspoint.jpg|left|thumb|[Tom Brokaw](/source/Tom_Brokaw) greeting the 20,000th visitor to the dam in 1958. Brokaw was once a tour guide at the dam.]] Gavins Point Dam was constructed as a part of the [Pick–Sloan Missouri Basin Program](/source/Pick%E2%80%93Sloan_Missouri_Basin_Program), authorized by the [Flood Control Act of 1944](/source/Flood_Control_Act_of_1944) by [Congress](/source/United_States_Congress). The dam is named after '''Gavins Point''', a bluff along the northern bank of the Missouri River named for an early settler, now within the western end of [Lewis & Clark Recreation Area](/source/Lewis_%26_Clark_Recreation_Area), which was to be the original location of construction of the dam. The location was moved and construction began further downstream along [Calumet Bluff](/source/Calumet_Bluff) because this location offered a shorter span distance and less fill material needed for dam construction, although the project kept the original name. [[File:Gavins-record.jpg|left|thumb| The dam releasing a record {{convert|150000|cuft/s|m3/s}} of water on June 14, 2011 as a result of the [2011 Missouri River Floods](/source/2011_Missouri_River_Floods). The release was more than twice the previous record set in 1997.{{cite web |url=http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/06/01/record-precipitation-reservoir-releases-cause-missouri-river-flooding/ |title=Record precipitation, reservoir releases to cause Missouri River flooding - Columbia Missourian |website=www.columbiamissourian.com |access-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813061427/http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/06/01/record-precipitation-reservoir-releases-cause-missouri-river-flooding/ |archive-date=13 August 2011 |url-status=dead}}]] During the [2011 Missouri River Flood](/source/2011_Missouri_River_Flood), the dam released a record water flow of 160,200 [cfs](/source/Cubic_feet_per_second), topping the previous record of 70,000 cfs in 1997. During the 2011 flood, the debris damaged the dam and a significant portion of rocks were dislodged from its upstream side.{{Cite web |last=Copple |first=Katie |date=2024-08-28 |title=Gavins Point Dam: Flood history, mitigation, and a big mathematical equation |url=https://www.ktiv.com/2024/08/28/gavins-point-dam-flood-history-mitigation-big-mathematical-equation/ |access-date=2024-08-30 |website=KTIV |language=en}} The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers soon began repairs to the dam and its [spillway](/source/spillway) gates. Pressure sensors were also installed in concrete portion of the dam.{{cite news|title=Crews repair Gavins Point Dam from 2011 flooding|url=http://www.bhpioneer.com/news/state_news/article_230abc60-2155-11e3-94fe-0019bb2963f4.html|access-date=19 September 2013|newspaper=Black Hills Pioneer|date=19 September 2013}}{{cite web | url={{Gnis3|829477}} | title=Gavins Point Dam | work=[Geographic Names Information System](/source/Geographic_Names_Information_System) | publisher=[United States Geological Survey](/source/United_States_Geological_Survey) | access-date=2006-05-10 }} == Usage == The dam has a [hydroelectric power](/source/Hydroelectricity) plant with three generators, each having a [nameplate capacity](/source/nameplate_capacity) of 44,099 [kW](/source/kilowatt), for a total of 132.297 [MW](/source/megawatt).{{Cite web |url = http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/html/Lake_Proj/gavinspoint/dam.html |title = Gavins Point Dam & Powerplant |access-date = 2009-01-27 |publisher = [United States Army Corps of Engineers](/source/United_States_Army_Corps_of_Engineers) |date = 2008-10-24 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110601221857/http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/html/Lake_Proj/gavinspoint/dam.html |archive-date = 2011-06-01 }} The hydroelectric power plant provides enough electricity to supply 68,000 homes. The power generated is sold through the [Western Area Power Administration](/source/Western_Area_Power_Administration). The dam operations work in conjunction with the other [Pick-Sloan Program Dams](/source/List_of_dams_in_the_Missouri_River_watershed) to assist with conservation, control, and use of [water resources](/source/water_resources) in the [Missouri River Basin](/source/Missouri_River_Basin). The intended beneficial uses of these water resources include [flood control](/source/flood_control), aids to [navigation](/source/Water_transportation), [irrigation](/source/irrigation), supplemental [water supply](/source/water_supply), [power generation](/source/Hydroelectricity), [municipal and industrial water supplies](/source/Water_supply_network), [stream-pollution abatement](/source/Water_pollution), [sediment control](/source/sediment_control), [preservation](/source/Conservation_biology) and enhancement of [fish](/source/fish) and [wildlife](/source/wildlife), and creation of [recreation opportunities](/source/Recreation). Gavins Point is the most downstream dam on the Missouri River, being 811.1 river miles upstream of [St. Louis](/source/St._Louis) where the river meets the [Mississippi River](/source/Mississippi_River). The next dam upstream is [Fort Randall Dam](/source/Fort_Randall_Dam).{{Cite web |title=Omaha District > Missions > Dam and Lake Projects > Missouri River Dams > Gavins Point |url=https://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/Dam-and-Lake-Projects/Missouri-River-Dams/Gavins-Point/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250319161951/https://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/Dam-and-Lake-Projects/Missouri-River-Dams/Gavins-Point/ |archive-date=2025-03-19 |website=U.S. Army Corps of Engineers}} ==Reservoir== ''See main article: [Lewis and Clark Lake](/source/Lewis_and_Clark_Lake)'' [[File:GavinsPointDamAerial.jpg|thumb|left|Aerial photo of Gavins Point Dam and [Lewis and Clark Lake](/source/Lewis_and_Clark_Lake), looking north.]] Gavins Point Dam creates Lewis and Clark Lake, a popular regional tourist destination for water-based recreational opportunities including boating and fishing, along with camping, hiking, and hunting opportunities managed by the State of South Dakota, State of Nebraska, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The lake is significantly impacted by [sedimentation](/source/sedimentation) and [siltation](/source/siltation) issues, diminishing the overall water surface area, water storage capacity, and recreational opportunities. [Sediment](/source/Sediment) carried by the Missouri River and [Niobrara River](/source/Niobrara_River) is slowed and trapped within the reservoir due to the dam impounding and thus stopping the natural river flow. Studies show approximately 5.1 million tons of sediment are deposited in the lake each year, which contributes to the lake's increasing size of delta area on the western portions of the lake. Approximately 60% of the sediment comes from the [Nebraska Sandhills](/source/Nebraska_Sandhills) via the Niobrara River. As of 2016, approximately 30% of the lake's overall surface area has diminished due to sedimentation deposits, and some figures project by 2045 approximately 50% of the lake will be diminished due to sedimentation deposits. Presently, there is no plan or solution to remove or slow the progression of the siltation within the lake.{{Cite web |title=Missouri Sedimentation Action Coalition – Keep it Water |url=https://www.msaconline.com/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250125133251/https://www.msaconline.com/ |archive-date=2025-01-25 |access-date=2025-04-07 |language=en}} ==See also== {{Portal|Water|Renewable energy}} *[Lewis and Clark Lake](/source/Lewis_and_Clark_Lake) *[Pick–Sloan Plan](/source/Pick%E2%80%93Sloan_Plan) *[List of crossings of the Missouri River](/source/List_of_crossings_of_the_Missouri_River) *[List of dams in the Missouri River watershed](/source/List_of_dams_in_the_Missouri_River_watershed) *[Water Resources Development Act](/source/Water_Resources_Development_Act) ==References== {{Reflist}} == External links == {{Commons category-inline|Gavins Point Dam}} *[https://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/Dam-and-Lake-Projects/Missouri-River-Dams/Gavins-Point/ U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District - Gavins Point Project] (Official Site) *[https://www.nwd.usace.army.mil/MRWM/ Missouri River Water Management Division - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers] *[https://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/reports/pdfs/MRBWM_River_Daily.pdf Missouri River Basin Daily Bulletin - USACE] {{MissouriRiverDams}} {{Omaha District dams}} {{Crossings navbox |structure = Crossings |place = [Missouri River](/source/Missouri_River) |bridge = Gavins Point Dam |bridge signs = Crest Road |upstream = [Chief Standing Bear Memorial Bridge](/source/Chief_Standing_Bear_Memorial_Bridge) |upstream signs = {{jct|state=NE|NE|14}}/{{jct|state=SD|SD|37}} |downstream = [Discovery Bridge](/source/Discovery_Bridge_(Yankton)) |downstream signs = {{jct|country=USA|US|81}} }} {{Authority control}} Category:Buildings and structures in Cedar County, Nebraska Category:Dams in Nebraska Category:Dams in South Dakota Category:Hydroelectric power plants in Nebraska Category:Hydroelectric power plants in South Dakota Category:Dams on the Missouri River Category:Buildings and structures in Yankton County, South Dakota Category:United States Army Corps of Engineers dams Category:Dams completed in 1957 Category:Energy infrastructure completed in 1957 Category:Earth-filled dams Category:United States Army Corps of Engineers Category:Energy infrastructure in Nebraska --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gavins Point Dam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavins_Point_Dam) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavins_Point_Dam?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.