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Bowman-Haley Dam facts for kids

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Bowman-Haley Dam
USACE Bowman-Haley Dam and Lake.jpg
Bowman-Haley Dam is located in North Dakota
Bowman-Haley Dam
Location of Bowman-Haley Dam in North Dakota
Country United States
Location Bowman County, North Dakota
Coordinates 45°59′00″N 103°14′42″W / 45.9833°N 103.2450°W / 45.9833; -103.2450
Status Operational
Opening date 1970
Owner(s) United States Army Corps of Engineers logo.svg U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District
Dam and spillways
Type of dam Embankment
Impounds North Fork of the Grand River
Height 79 ft (24 m)
Length 5,730 ft (1,747 m)
Reservoir
Creates Bowman-Haley Reservoir
Total capacity 171,838 acre⋅ft (0.211959 km3) (Maximum Pool)
Active capacity 19,780 acre⋅ft (0.02440 km3) (Normal Pool)
Surface area 2.7 square miles

The Bowman-Haley Dam is a large dam located in Bowman County, North Dakota. It's in the southwestern part of the state, just a couple of miles north of the South Dakota border. This important dam helps control floods and provides water for people and businesses. It also creates a lake that's great for fishing and other fun activities.

What is the Bowman-Haley Dam?

The Bowman-Haley Dam is a special type of dam called an embankment dam. This means it's built mostly from earth and rocks, not concrete. It was finished in 1970. The United States Army Corps of Engineers built it and still takes care of it today. They are a government group that builds and manages many important projects, like dams and waterways.

Why was it built?

The dam was built to hold back the water of the North Fork Grand River. This helps with several important things:

  • Flood Control: It stops the river from overflowing and causing floods, protecting homes and farms.
  • Water Supply: It stores water for cities and industries to use.
  • Nature and Fun: It helps protect fish and wildlife. It also creates a lake where people can go fishing, boating, and enjoy nature.

How big is the dam?

The Bowman-Haley Dam is quite large! It stands about 79 feet tall, which is like an eight-story building. It's also very long, stretching about 5,730 feet across the land. That's more than a mile long!

What is Bowman-Haley Lake?

The dam creates a large body of water called Bowman-Haley Lake. This lake is also known as the Bowman-Haley Reservoir. It covers an area of about 2.7 square miles.

The lake can hold a lot of water. When it's completely full, it can hold about 171,838 acre-feet of water. An acre-foot is a way to measure water volume. It's the amount of water needed to cover one acre of land to a depth of one foot. Normally, the lake holds about 19,780 acre-feet of water.

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