Red Rock Dam (Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red Rock Dam |
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(Army Corps of Engineers)
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| Official name | Red Rock Dam |
| Location | Marion County, Iowa, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°22′21″N 92°58′51″W / 41.37250°N 92.98083°W |
| Construction began | 1960 |
| Opening date | 1969 |
| Construction cost | $88,000,000 |
| Operator(s) | US Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Des Moines River |
| Height | 110 ft (34 m) |
| Length | 5,676 ft (1,730 m) |
| Width (base) | 13.4 ft (4 m) (concrete base) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Red Rock |
| Total capacity | 114,400 cubic feet (= max outflow) |
| Catchment area | 12,320 square miles |
| Surface area | 15,250 acres (61.7 km2) |
| Website U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lake Red Rock Project |
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The Red Rock Dam is a large dam in central Iowa, United States. It was built on the Des Moines River. This dam creates a big lake called Lake Red Rock. The entire dam is located in Marion County. Nearby cities are Pella to the northeast and Knoxville to the southwest.
Contents
What is the Red Rock Dam?
The Red Rock Dam is made of a huge earth wall and a concrete section. This concrete part helps control the water flow. The dam stands about 95 feet (29 meters) tall above the flat land around it. The top of the dam is about 5,200 feet (1,585 meters) long.
Building the Dam
The Red Rock Dam was built to help control floods. It was constructed along with the Saylorville Dam. The US Army Corps of Engineers built both dams. Before the dams, there were big floods in Iowa in 1851, 1859, 1903, 1944, 1947, and 1954.
Construction of the Red Rock Dam began in 1960. The project was finished in 1969. It cost about $88 million to build. The Army Corps of Engineers still has local offices in Knoxville to manage the dam.
Powering Homes with Water
In 2014, work started to add a new feature to the dam. This new part will use the water to create electricity. This process is called hydroelectric power. The project is expected to be finished in 2018.
Once completed, the dam will be able to produce 36.4 megawatts of power. This is enough electricity to power about 18,000 homes each year. Even with this new power feature, the main job of the dam will still be to control floods.
Fun at Lake Red Rock
After the dam was built, many fun places were developed along the lake's edge. People can now enjoy different activities around Lake Red Rock.
The lake was named after a town called Red Rock. This town was one of several that ended up underwater when the lake was formed.
A Quick Fill-Up
Engineers thought it would take about three years for Lake Red Rock to fill with water. However, a big flood in 1969 changed that. The lake filled up to its maximum level in just five days! This quick filling helped prevent a major flood.
