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Ririe Dam
Blacktail Park Ririe Reservoir Idaho.JPG
Blacktail Park, on the shore of the reservoir
Official name Ririe Dam
Location Upper Snake River Basin, Bonneville County, Idaho, USA
Coordinates 43°34′54″N 111°44′30″W / 43.58167°N 111.74167°W / 43.58167; -111.74167
Construction began January 1970
Opening date February 1978
Operator(s) Bonneville County Parks & Recreation Department
Dam and spillways
Impounds Willow Creek
Height 77.11 meters
Length 326.14 meters
Width (base) 15 meters
Reservoir
Creates Ririe Reservoir
Total capacity 124,000 megaliters
Surface area 6.1 km2

The Ririe Reservoir is a large lake created by the Ririe Dam near Ririe, Idaho. This important reservoir helps local farmers by providing water for their crops. It also protects the area from floods and offers many fun activities for people to enjoy.

Building the Ririe Dam

The Ririe Dam was built on a stream called Willow Creek. Construction began in January 1970. The United States Army Corps of Engineers started building it.

The dam officially opened in February 1978. It can hold over 124,000 megaliters of water. That's a huge amount of water!

New Building Methods

In 1972, something special happened at the Ririe Dam. Engineers used a new material called steel fibrous shotcrete for the first time. Shotcrete is a type of concrete that is sprayed through a hose. It was used to build a tunnel entrance, called an adit, at the dam. This was a big step forward in construction technology.

On October 14, 1976, the United States Bureau of Reclamation took over control of the dam. They are still in charge of managing it today.

Nature Around Ririe Reservoir

The land around the Ririe Dam is quite hilly. It is a type of environment called a shrub-steppe. This means it has lots of shrubs and grasses. You will see plants like sagebrush and bunch grass growing there. These plants are very common in this part of Idaho.

Fish in the Reservoir

The Ririe Reservoir is home to many different kinds of fish. It's a great spot for fishing! Some of the fish you might find include:

These fish make the reservoir a lively place for nature lovers and anglers.

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