Lake Tangipahoa Dam is an

embankment dam An embankment dam is a large artificial dam. It is typically created by the placement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil or rock. It has a semi-pervious waterproof natural covering for its surface and ...

on the

Tangipahoa River The Tangipahoa River ( ) originates northwest of McComb in southwest Mississippi, and runs south U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 20, 2011 through Lake Tangipahoa in ...

Pike County, Mississippi Pike County is a county located on the southwestern border of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,324. The county seat is Magnolia. Pike County is named for explorer Zebulon Pike. Pike County is part of ...

. It forms Lake Tangipahoa within the

Percy Quin State Park Percy Quin State Park is a public recreation area located off Interstate 55, approximately southwest of McComb, Mississippi. The state park surrounds Lake Tangipahoa, an impoundment of the Tangipahoa River. History The park is one of the nine ...

. The dam was completed in 1940 and in 1942 it failed. It was rebuilt in 1945 at a cost of $75,000. During the spring flood of 1983, the dam again failed and contributed to the flood records for the Tangipahoa River that stand today. The dam was rebuilt afterward and a concrete flood control structure was added. Heavy rainfall from Hurricane Isaac in August 2012 prompted the evacuation of 60,000 people downstream of the dam due to high reservoir levels and concerns of its stability. The lake was drained later in the month with plans to rebuild the dam.

References

{{reflist National Register of Historic Places in Pike County, Mississippi Dams in Mississippi Dams completed in 1940 Earth-filled dams 1940 establishments in Mississippi Dams on the National Register of Historic Places Mississippi placenames of Native American origin