River/Stream: Des Moines River
Built: 1922. Demolition in progress.
Owner: City of Fort Dodge
Height: 17 feet
Length: 366 feet
Hazards: height, urban, visibility
Warning Signs:
Comments: Hydroelectric Dam, formerly a 16-high dam, is removed down to a few feet high through summer, when it is expected to be completely removed. The removal is staged into 2 steps in order to prevent all sediment in the impoundment from being released at the same time. HOWEVER, recirculating currents will continue to be a safety hazard remaining portion of the dam until the dam is fully removed because the dam's height will still be about 5 feet. All boaters should avoid the stretch between the Hydroelectric Park Access and mouth of Lizard Creek until the rest of the dam can be removed - most likely later this summer.
Fatalities 1
- May 28, 2018, Alex Dencklau, his kayak capsized in the boil below the dam
Photos courtesy of Gordon Greif